Fire Emblem - A Different Journey
by Yajuu Satoru
Summary: What if Lyn's parent lived through that raid? What if they had allies, powerful allies that thrived on combat? What would happen then?
1. Chapter One: Welcome to Dunagar!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, unfortunately ;-;

**Shouting**

_Thinking  
_

Chapter One: Welcome to Dunagar!

* * *

It was supposed to have been an easy raid. They waited until it was night to tear through the encampment where they assumed an unprepared tribe was waiting. What they didn't expect was that there were double the numbers they expected, and also the two crazed fighters that cleaved his men left and right, and seemed to have fun doing it. Taliver bandits were known as the fiercest group throughout Sacae, but now there were men trying to flee from the battle.

One of those warriors was already full of wounds, arrows pierced on his torso but in his battle crazed state he seemed to shrug off his own wounds and kept fighting, destroying any bandit that dared try taking the people he came to call his own away from him. Not far away was a younger warrior, this one had way less wounds, and was doing just as much damage as the first, his eyes shone with rage and lust for battle. They had anticipated this raid, the King's scouts reporting that a horde of bandits was moving in the direction of their village, and so they prepared. Children and the women that were not warriors were sent away, while those who were willing stayed and carried on as though it was a normal day.

As the sun set on the horizon, they had retired to their tents for the night, pretending to sleep, and then came the beginning of this battle.

**† Flashback †**

They had made sure to make as little sound as possible, the majority of their forces had stayed outside, waiting for the signal to flood in and decimate this tribe. They were going to kill as many as they possibly could before the actual attack started, and he had just gotten into a tent, where a beautiful green haired girl slept; _If only we could spare the time…what a waste._ He then proceeded to slowly pull out his dagger to stab her, only to be stopped in his tracks by a roar, too animalistic to be truly human, coming from outside.

* * *

That had been the signal everyone was waiting for, and Lyn, who had been pretending to sleep as was their plan, threw away the sheets of her bed and leapt to her feet, fully clothed and with an Iron Sword in hand, though still in its sheath. She had opted to stay behind and fight with her father and husband, even though she knew that they'd be fine on their own. Her father was one of the most skilled swordfighters in all Sacae, and her husband was the son of the "Berserker King", King of a warrior tribe from the Western Isles.

She turned to her would be assassin and charged, gripping the handle of her blade and, as she got in range to attack, Lyn quickly pulled the sword; which was slightly curved as opposed to the usual straight blades, and cut with only one side; the blade left it's sheath hastily, and with a horizontal motion, cut off the attacking bandit's head, which fell to the ground while the body seemed to still catch up with the action.

Leaving her hut, Lyn watched as many of the warriors were felling bandits, who she recognized from the Taliver group, and her father and the King fought near the center of their encampment, while her husband was fending off bandits coming from the eastern side, with a group of her tribesmen. After taking the situation in, Lyndis turned her attention once again to the battle at hand, and returning her sword to its sheath, she made her way to a struggling group of Lorca fighters.

* * *

Segruk, son of Dunagar, the Berserker King was having the time of his life. When his father roared, initiating their own little surprise to the bandits, he leapt straight to his enemy, the man that had entered his tent. His two headed battle-axe cleaved the man in two halves, cutting through bones and organs as though he was cutting through an animal's neck. He charged into battle, his battle lust already taking over, and even though he wanted to make sure Lyn was safe, his body went toward the largest group of raiders, a roar escaping his lips as he ran.

He seemed to have no style to his fighting, his axe swung wildly with his arms, cutting through enemies or deflecting attacks meant for him as the large man passed through. His eyes showed only his battle lust, even though there was something else there, to a minor degree.

Another assassin came his way, a dagger drawn and gripped on a reversed hold, the blade pointing toward the holder's elbow as he circled the large berserker. He swung battle-axe at the man, who was fast enough to dodge the strike, rolling forward, toward the axe user, before he made an arc with his arm, the blade hitting on the protection over his thigh with the sound of metal hitting metal echoing through both their ears.

The berserker smiled cruelly at the crafty assassin, who didn't count on there being metal plates hidden under his coat and baggy pants; _I never did thank Lyn for persuading me into using this_. He used that moment of hesitation the assassin gave and swung his massive axe once more, a vertical slash this time, as the assassin was still crouching after his attack. This time the blade of his weapon met its mark, and the flesh on the other man's skull parted as the axe passed through, his eyes showing his surprise as the two halves of his body fell to the ground. There were few truly skilled warriors amongst these ruffians, and they tried to compensate the lack of quality with quantity, as more and more of them seemed to pour out of the darkness surrounding the nomad encampment. Segruk roared again.

- **_Come! Come to me and meet your end like true warriors! I hunger!_**

**† Flashback Ends †**

The leader of this raiding party sighed in exasperation for what seemed to be the millionth time that night. He never expected such barbarians – ironic as it was – to be waiting along with their intended victims. It was supposed to have been easy, swarm the Lorca, slaughter every living and breathing soul they found and pillage whatever was left at the end. But now his men refused to take another step toward the encampment, and many others lay dead at the feet of the defenders. Now they retreated to the mountains that gave name to their bandit group, the boss would not like this at all…

As the enemy fled, Dunagar roared victoriously, an action that was soon mirrored by his son and the warriors within his clan. _This was a battle worthy of the ancestors! _The old warrior then fell to his knees, the wounds on his body taking their toll. He was happy with this death, it was worthy of a warrior, a true warrior with their beliefs, and now he would join his ancestors pride fully. If only he could see his son, just one last time. His last breath left his body, the fell on its back, staring blankly at the skies above.

* * *

Segruk, after the battle was over and his having finally won over his lust for battle and blood, had gone in search of Lyn, the one person who had been on his mind throughout the battle, and found her hear a priest's healing tent, where many wounded were being brought in and the dead were given their final prayers. He respected their religion and beliefs, even though his own people didn't follow it. They were remnants of a clan; they took to calling themselves that way; of conquerors, coming from a continent beyond Elibe, and with a religion all their own. Some of the people on the Western Isles, home to his people for a long time, had been swayed into accepting their beliefs and life style.

He shook those thoughts away for now, he could think about their differences later, and focused on the woman his father married him to, as a way to seal the alliance between the Lorca and his clan. Segruk and Lyndis were young enough and as such, they grew up together and thankfully fell in love long before the day of their marriage. He had helped her hone her sword skills, and she had shown him that he lacked finesse, and compensating with brute force wouldn't work forever, and so he had learned to defend himself and to be more accurate, even though his swing seemed as wild as always.

He saw her smile at him as he watched her and his worries lifted. She was fine, and at that moment that was all that mattered. He took a few steps toward her, the priest glancing at him to examine any wounds he might have received during battle, and though there weren't many, the greying man chanted a prayer to his saint Elimine as Segruk felt his wounds cleansing and closing away, leaving only insignificant scars on his body, as though they were never there.

* * *

Hassar, chieftain of the Lorca watched as his friend, the man he had come to consider a brother, fell to the ground lifeless and his face gazing the stars without really seeing them. He prayed his friend took comfort in the embrace of Father Sky, just as his body would Mother Earth. He knew the young man that was now leader of their proud clan of warriors would be devastated with his father's death. His mother had been separated from the King long ago; the nobles of Etruria refused to acknowledge the marriage of a high class noble to a barbarian such as Dunagar and threatened to kill her newborn son if she insisted in staying with the man. The swordsman went to the body of the Berserker King and lifted the older man, carrying toward the tent of the healers.

As he passed men of the warrior clan, he saw their celebrations stop as they sighted the downed body of the man they called their King. He wanted to give the man a funeral the same they did to their dead, but he knew from the talks he had with Dunagar that his people had a different funeral, and as he was their King, they would certainly want to make sure at least he received it. He slowly entered the "Healing Tent", the fabric that composed the door accompanying his movements, clinging to his body as he passed by, until it was forced back to its resting place, and as he sighted the son of the King there, standing in front of his daughter and caressing her face tenderly, he felt his heart sink.

* * *

Lyn leaned her face into the hand that gently caressed it and smiled warmly at her husband. It felt strange to have been used as a means to "seal" an alliance, but as time passed and she got to know the man behind the monster he was in the battlefield, she knew that it she had been lucky. Her mother had been furious of course, she had left her own home, in Lycia, after her grandfather had set her up in an arranged marriage, even though she was already enamored with the nomad from Sacae, Hassar. It took months before she spoke to her husband again, and even then it was only after seeing how close her child seemed to have gotten with the boy that she **started** considering forgiving him.

She opened her eyes to gaze at Segruk again, and to ask of his father, when a gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it, making Segruk stop and turn around, his gaze following her own before his blood ran cold, and for a moment his body froze.

- Father?

It was barely a whisper, but his proximity to her made it so that she heard as he called for Dunagar, who lay motionless on her father's arms. He walked over to a vacant bed and laid the body there, bowing his head in prayer and, as he finished, Hassar looked at his daughter and her husband.

- He had too many wounds, and as the battle ended, it was far too late to help. He felled many enemies, and only as we were victorious did he allow his strength to leave him. You should be proud, Segruk. Is this not the warrior's death your people crave?

The words came out sounding harsher than he'd intended, and even his daughter sent him a disapproving glance behind the new leader's shoulder, but it had the desired effect, because the man shook himself out of the stunned silence he'd been and smiled at his father's form.

- Yes, yes it is.

He stepped forward and took the Berserker King's hand in his own, giving a silent prayer for his father, before he looked to the leader of the Lorca tribe.

- He came to respect your people's customs, so I was wondering if you'd honor him with a funeral worthy of a Sacaean warrior.

And indeed his father even tried to get his people to participate in some of the customs the people of Sacae seemed to share, the belief in Mother Earth and Father Sky, the spirits and the like, it was much like their own beliefs, with some changes, of course.

The day after the battle had been one for mourning their dead and the burning of the bodies of their enemies, denying them the sweet embrace of Mother Earth. There had been many losses on both the tribe and the clan, and both Segruk and Hassar knew they would not be ready if the Taliver bandits decided the launch a second offense soon.

- We must either leave the plains altogether now, or fortify our village and make it a permanent home.

They were walking to the largest city in all Sacae, Bulgar, where the children and some of the women stayed to escape the battle. Hassar thanked the Sky and Earth for the gifts that were the warriors that had stepped into the territory of the Lorca tribe years ago, for if not for them, he shuddered to think what'd happen. He looked around and saw that the survivors among the warriors were celebrating and paying respect to their dead leader by singing high praise of him, while the men of his tribe just watched and smiled at a joke they made about their King.

- Agreed. But if we left, where would we go? No, our only option is to fortify ourselves, build walls and watch towers around our encampment. With time we might even start creating houses, since as you said, it will be our permanent home from now on.

He looked over at Segruk, heir to the title of Berserker King and leader of the remnants of his clan, who was surveying the surroundings as they walked. That was always something the intrigued Hassar. If both he and his father were able to "sense" incoming danger, which would then make them go into their "battle craze", why were they always watching?

- Hmm…You know, Lady Madelyn is from Lycia, correct? Perhaps we can ask that the tribe be allowed to stay at her city for a while, until our upgrades are complete, at least. You go with her and leave the work for me and my men; we just love construction almost as much as we love destruction!

He laughed at his joke, the men in his clan joining him moments later; it was true after all, they studied the architecture of every single enemy they had, so they could better plot how to bring their homes down upon their heads, and that had made construction a hobby of theirs, and something they had learned to love doing. He looked onward, where the city of Bulgar could be seen on the horizon, growing larger with every moment.

- If you're staying, then so am I.

He looked to his left, where Lyn walked by his side and smiled at her. He wondered for a moment if she expected him to argue; wasn't he the one who said he'd never leave her side? His hand went to hers and his fingers laced themselves with hers, while he directed his gaze to their destination once again.

- Of course! I told you this many times already, Lyn. I'll never leave your side. It nearly killed my father that mom was taken from him, and I'll die before the same happens to you.

His voice was soft and slightly saddened, but filled with certainty. He gazed once again forward, his eyes again scanning their surroundings as they walked. His father always said that even with their gift, they needed to be always vigilant, they could sense danger, but spies were hardly any danger to them as fighters, but the information they could take home to their masters could bring their doom if they were not careful.

* * *

It had been six months since the attack on the Lorca and the resulting death of the Berserker King. Hassar and Madelyn had traveled to her home in Caelin to petition her father that they take refuge there for some time while their new home was built. Their return was at first disheartening, but hearing the answer of the Marquess, that they wait a while for him to ascertain him a large enough area for them to settle during their stay was a welcome surprise, and so they started planning the walls of the Lorca village.

Lyn and Segruk had been living off near Bulgar for the last week, since he constantly needed to visit the city to meet with suppliers, so that he could buy the stones they'd use as material for their walls. It was on a walk back from resupplying that they came across a body lying down on the plains, a guy that seemed to be of their own age, wearing a long green cloak and with brown hair. His breathing was even, but they could tell he had collapsed due to exhaustion; he must have been traveling for days without food or water.

Segruk had thrown the body over his shoulder, carrying him toward their home so they could give the kid the proper time to heal.

* * *

- Are you awake?

She spoke to him as she took some more water to give the boy. She could see him stirring from his slumber. It had been a few days since they found him, and he was recovering quite well from his near starvation. Segruk had hunted a few animals more than he usually did for their meals, since once that guy woke he'd surely be very hungry. Lyn approached the bed with a bowl of water as he supported his weight on his forearms and lifted his upper body, to have a better look at the inside of her home.

- We found you unconscious on the plains.

He nodded at that. He remembered trying to hunt for food, but his lack of skills at hunting had him on an empty stomach for the last week, and part of his travel from Ilia to Bern; which was originally his next destination in his travels; had been done without water. He hadn't been able to find a city on the vast plains of Sacae, and when he finally found himself near one, his body refused to move an inch toward it.

- I'm Lyn of the Lorca tribe. You're safe now; my husband and I will take you to Bulgar once you are better. But for now, who are you? Do you remember your name?

Her voice was kind, and one would say she'd been talking to a kid as she handed him another cup of water.

- I'm Mark, a traveling tactician. I've been studying on Ilia for a while, and planned moving onward to Bern, but I must have miscalculated the distance, and ended up short on water and food supplies before I hit half the course of these plains. And well…the rest is history I'd say.

His voice still sounded hoarse from the lack of water, but it was better than not being able to talk at all, because it hurt his dry throat. He saw some furniture around, some vases and chests were piled up around the hut, and there was a huge axe leaning on one of the larger vases.

- Mark? What an odd-sounding name…but pay me no mind. It is a good name.

She smiled at him for a moment, and was going to continue her speech, but a roar coming from outside the hut gave her all the warning she needed. Someone was attacking their small home. And Segruk was without his battle-axe; _though I know for a fact that even unarmed that man is more than many can handle_. She looked once more toward the now startled kid and smiled.

- Don't worry, that would be my husband. That…uh…scream, you could say, is kind of a warning that we're under attack. Stay here.

- No, no. As I said, I'm a traveling tactician, Lyn. I might be able to help, even if just with battle plans and preparations.

She pondered his offer for a moment. Segruk would probably already be on his battle craze by now, and the only person alive who was able to get through to him in that state was her, since his father was now watching over him. She nodded toward the kid and pulled him out of bed, stopping for a moment to, with some difficulty, heaved the large axe from its resting place and ran outside.

* * *

Segruk had been cleaning up another hunt for their little feast, when he sensed something. Danger was marching in their direction, and that thought sent a shiver of anticipation through his body, and a large smile spread on his bearded face. He got up from his sitting spot near a few trees to the west of his hut, and looked around, searching for signs of the incoming enemy.

- One…two…three...Hmm. Ten men? That's it?

He groaned in disappointment as the craze took over. Not nearly enough men for him to have fun, but a thought made him stop in his advance toward them; Lyn, she was still unaware that bandits had come to their temporary home near Bulgar. He gave then a roar, both in anticipation of the battle to come, and as a warning to his wife.

As soon as the roar ended, he made a dash toward the one nearest to his position, a lone bandit, who in his arrogance had discarded the security of traveling with the "main body" of their little raiding crew. The startled man made to swing his axe, but Segruk used the metal gauntlets he wore as shield from the incoming strike; he was forever grateful to Lyn for beating him into wearing more protection; and with his free hand he made to grab the bandit's face, and once he had the man under his grip, he lifted him up with his arm and impacted the back of the man's skull against the earth below, effectively taking him out of the battle.

He heard the voice of his beloved Lyndis and turned around, seeing her with the kid they had rescued from the plains, and his battle-axe, Segruk ran in her direction, his eyes still shining with their usual battle lust, but a little less intense now as he managed to concentrate better through the haze that fighting made in his mind.

- Thank you, dear. This is hardly a proper raiding party, seeing as there are only nine left. They must have their gaze settled on the lesser villages around here.

He looked back at them, this time with his trusty battle-axe in hand and grinned, before he started laughing joyously.

* * *

Mark watched as a towering male came toward them. He took a moment to analyze his appearance. Shoulder length messy black hair that framed his face like a mane, his lips nearly hidden behind a full beard that covered the lower half of his face, broad shoulders as a sign of his muscled frame, and then there was the clothing that covered him. He had a large, brown fur coat that ended just above his knees, and it had several metal plates embedded into it on the chest and stomach, on his shoulders there were large, spiked guards made of metal. The lower body had baggy black pants, and from his knees and down there were metal boots. On both his arms there were metal gauntlets, which covered from his hands all the way up to his elbows. And on his upper arms there were a pair of golden armbands, one of which had belonged to his father, but he took to wearing as a memento. He was seven feet tall, and that was much taller than his wife, even though she was impressively tall as well, standing six feet tall.

Mark turned his head to evaluate Lyn, her strong form, the long, straight green hair that was held on a high ponytail but still fell to her lower back, her chest noticeable through her clothing, which he assumed meant that it was quite big, and her legs were thick; she probably worked on strengthening her lower body as a way to increase her speed; but still held a feminine grace. He stopped admiring Lyn's body and noticed that her clothing appeared much simpler than her husband's. She wore a one piece, short sleeved long green dress that had a few red designs on the collar, and under it one could see a black skin tight shirt. The dress went all the way down to her ankles, and on there was a red sash wrapped around her waistline that held the dress tightly to her body; it probably also facilitated fighting. Her lower body was only covered on the front and back by the dress' straps, leaving her legs exposed on the sides. On her feet, a pair of brown boots that went up to her knees and on her hands, brown gloves that covered up midway to her elbows. Her trusty sword securely strapped to her left side, hanging loosely from the sash on her waist

It had taken a few moments to recognize that she relied on her speed to escape wounds and he was a heavy fighter, being a walking fortress to keep her safe in battle, though the speed in which he seemed to move betrayed that heaviness, Mark decided that the axe wielder would be a frontline unit, while Lyn would be covering his back, taking any enemies that would ambush him.

- Lyn, let your husband fight his way, but stay close, cover his back from any enemies that would backstab him.

He then took to assessing the men on the other side. They seemed to lack any real skill with their weapons, and it was made painfully obvious with the wild swings they made. It was as though they swung their axe and just hoped it would hit something instead of controlling the force behind the swing enough to be able to aim it properly.

* * *

Lyn watched as Segruk, now armed with his battle-axe went toward the bandits, who now grouped near their ger; a type of round hut, commonly used by nomads as house; as a way of proving they had seized control of it. She heard him roar once again in challenge as he approached the enemy lines, and kept a little distance between him and her, since she needed to be able to see any approaching bandits.

Segruk swung his axe heavily in a downward diagonal slash, destroying the pathetic attempt of defense the bandit put up and in turn, his body. He turned to the next, vaguely noting that his wife was skillfully dancing around their wild swings and killing any of the men trying to attack his blind side. There were now only two left, one of them, a blonde, scarred man that was keeping guard over their ger, and a frightened brigand, backing away from them nearly in tears.

- Kill the one trying to run away dear, I'll teach the other one not to invite himself into our home.

He saw from the corner of his eye as she nodded her approval and made for the blonde brigand. His eyes locked with the man's own, and he knew that differently from the other bandits, this one had the skill needed to properly use a war axe.

**_- Who do you think you are!? You think you stand a chance against Batta, the Beast?_**

The blond roared his questions, his voice echoing through the open plains as the Berserker watched in amusement.

- Oh? The Beast, you say? Allow me an introduction, then! I am Segruk, The Second Berserker King of the Lorca, son of Dunagar, Berserker King, who made the Taliver bandits cower away months ago. **_Now come, O Beast, allow me to end you as a true warrior should meet his end!_**

At the end of his own speech, Segruk's voice her risen a shout, which echoed on the field, as now all that remained was the bandit leader and his little group, with his wife and the traveler coming to stand to the side of the duel.

Batta came toward the Berserker, his axe already raised for a heavy swing to the man's torso. Segruk, thinking quickly, had used the handle of his large battle-axe and blocked the strike, his arms straining a little under the surprising strength of the blow, but he endured through it and pushed the man back, following with his own swing, a horizontal slash aimed to tear the Beast's chest open.

With surprising quickness, Batta hopped backward, avoiding the fatal strike completely, and using the opening to charge once more, his war axe poised to slash at the larger man's neck. Segruk, seeing the incoming fatal strike, thought quickly as he let go of his axe, the metal dropping with a heavy thump on the ground, and stepped back from the swing, answering with a strong haymaker to the Beast's face, this time hitting him squarely and making the brigand fall to his back, dazed from the strike.

- You are surprisingly good with your axe; O Beast…but it was simply not enough to best the Berserker King!

He walked to his own battle-axe and lifted it, positioning it for the final strike.

- Wa-Wait, sir! I did not know you were the Berserker King! I heard stories of your win against the Taliver, and believe me I'm as grateful as anyone else. My own village was destroyed by those beasts, and I thought that maybe, becoming a brigand and fighting whenever, wherever would make me strong enough to seek revenge…maybe, maybe if I join you, sir, you would grant me my wish and allow me to participate on the battle, when you decide to destroy the Taliver once and for all?

Oh? You killed many innocents for revenge? How curious that in your desire to rid this land of them you became what you hated!

Segruk was coming out of his craze, and it was the message he needed that the bandit in front of him was truthful, but he would let his wife have the last word in this matter. The people of Sacae never lied, and as such they could tell quite easily when someone was lying, any uneasiness, hesitation, even a nervous blink would tell them all they needed to know. She knew her husband was waiting on her decision on the man's fate, and even though she hated to admit it, Batta was being as honest as any Sacaean, which meant that they would probably end up with an extra warrior in their clan.

- He speaks no lies, Segruk. He'll be of much better use to us alive.

He groaned; how he wished he could have ended the man's life; and lowered his axe to his shoulder, where it lay, waiting.

- Very well then, Batta, the Beast. You are going to be my personal guard, since I will keep a close eye on you. Any action not worthy of a warrior from my clan, you'll wish I'd killed you here, **understood**?

The last word came out as a growl and he pulled the ex-brigand to his feet and watched him as he swallowed a sudden lump that appeared on his throat.

- Ye-Yes, milord!

- Good. Come, we are headed to Dunagar, the new village, named after my Father. You too traveler, you can tell us your tale better once you're properly fed.

* * *

The walk back to their village; _we should probably start calling it a city now, I guess_; was rather eventful, Lyn and Segruk interrogated their new subordinate, and Mark had assessed the man's abilities as he watched them interacting, the way he posed himself whenever near Segruk, not a groveling lowlife, but as a debited warrior would his liege. Lyn and Batta had made something of a friendship, seeing as both grew in Sacae, and as such had many tales to share about the vast ocean of grass that surrounded them, but Segruk kept to his promise, and whenever he was not scanning their surroundings for any uninvited guests, he kept a watchful eye on "The Beast".

The got to the entrance of the new city, its walls were still low, with a few parts going higher here and there. The gap between walls where the entrance would be housed the foundation of what would be the main watch towers, and further into the city, near the southern walls there was yet another foundation, where the third watch tower would be raised. As they entered, some of the people stopped what they were doing for an instant and saluted their leader, a fist smashed against their chest and a bow of the head in respect. Those, Mark assumes were the warriors of Segruk's clan.

Others would just stop their work for a moment and offered a formal bow to the couple walking the streets. Those were likely Sacaeans. He also noticed the difference in their clothing, while the people of the plains seemed to wear cloth, simple garments, and the warriors wore fur cloaks and armor.

They reached what would one day be the home of the leaders of the Lorca, and were greeted by the sight of a lean built male, wearing a long sleeved green shirt and pants of the same color, like on Lyn's clothing, his had red designs on the collar, but also yellow ones crossing the sides, covering the section where the ribs were. The shirt seemed quite large on the man's form, but it seemed to do little to bother him as he walked to greet them, his long green hair cascading down to his upper back. Holding both his shirt and pants was a belt that had the design of the head of a dragon on it, probably a gift from the Berserker King; he had been told that Hassar, Lyn's father, was close friends with Dunagar, hence the naming of their city in his honor; and on his left hip a sword, much like Lyn's own, hanged loosely from a red cloth, used to strap it to the belt.

On his side, wearing a dress similar to Lyn's, but with long sleeves and being black in color, was a woman that could only be her mother. The face was the same, even the green eyes were identical, but the fact that she was shorter, maybe five feet four inches tall, and her hair being a red color instead of Lyn's green. The woman had no weapons on her, but it appeared as though she did battle as well, because she had a few scars on her body. Madelyn smiled warmly as she saw the approach of her daughter and her husband, and moved closer with Hassar.

- Mother, Father. I apologize for our delay, but we encountered Mark – She pointed at the brown haired kid – unconscious on the plains and then we were attacked by Batta – She pointed at the Beast, who had the decency to look ashamed – a few days later as we treated him.

Her mother made to speak, probably questioning why would they let Batta live, let alone bring the man to their home, but Lyn shook her head and continued, raising one hand slightly, trying to placate the older woman.

- His village had been ruined by the Taliver bandits, and he thought that becoming stronger by attacking others he would one day have the numbers and the strength to decimate them. Segruk showed him the error of his ways, now he pledged his life to the service of the Second Berserker King.

As she finished, Segruk stepped forward and simply placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling down at her for a moment before looking at her parents.

- Yeah, that's all nice and fun, but we're mainly here to deliver more supplies to help with the construction of the city's defenses, stones and weapons are waiting on a cart outside.

As blunt as ever, Segruk told them of their trip to Bulgar and then the events that led to the inclusion of Batta to his personal guard; which made him the only one, he was not the Berserker King for nothing, after all. They walked out of the "castle" and there was a big cart, housing dozens of weapons and many times that in stone. Of course, the cart itself was made of metal, to bear all that weight and not give away. But as soon as they were out, a couple of knights, one wearing a green plate and another, wearing red colors, appeared from amidst the crowds.

Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!

The green knight walked towards Lyn as Segruk opted to watch for a moment, before squashing the male that now reached to his wife's hand, a charming smile on his face.

O beauteous one, would you favor me with you name? Or, better yet, your company?

Lyn was taken aback by the supposedly enchanting tone the man had taken with her, his lips brushing against her knuckled in a way he'd decided was charming as he spoke. She looked at Segruk, and saw that he was moments away from transforming the green knight into mush, and decided she'd take pity on this soul.

- Where are you from, sir knight that you would speak so freely to a stranger? To a married woman, no less.

He recoiled, as though struck and one of his hands went to his heart, as if to hold it together. Apparently he decided she was playing along, his expression held no regret but playfulness. But before he had the chance to speak again, Segruk decided he'd watched long enough.

He took a few steps forward and stood between Lyn and this newcomer, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

You have three seconds to run away before I decide you have lived long enough.

His voice was calm, but in his eyes there was the telltale sign of his battle craze, only in this case showing how possessive he was of his wife. The knight made to confront him, but another; more sensate one stepped up and stopped him before he could continue his little act.

- Hold your tongue, Sain! I'm sorry, sir. We seek Lady Madelyn, her husband, Hassar, chief of the Lorca and Lyndis, their daughter. I am Kent, sworn knight of Caelin, and this is Sain, my companion on this journey.

At that, Madelyn, who had been laughing quietly with her husband a few paces away from the scene, stepped forward.

- You need seek no longer. I am Madelyn, beside me stands my husband, Hassar. You already met my daughter, Lyndis, and standing between you and her is Segruk, her husband.

The red knight looked once again toward Segruk and Lyn, this time taking a bow as he spoke.

- My apologies, milady. My companion often forgets his status as a sworn knight of Caelin.

Lyn, walking so she stood side by side with her husband, looked at the two knights and offered a kind smile.

- It was no problem, Kent. I'm sure he's sorry for the misunderstanding.

- Oh! Oh, right! Yes, yes milady, I am truly sorry, it shall not happen again.

Segruk unfolded his arms as he felt the calming presence of Lyn beside him, the intensity in his eyes dimming a little as he shook his head. He offered his hand to Kent, the red knight, and after that he did the same to Sain, the green knight.

- Yes, yes. Now then, if memory serves, the Marquess had said that once our people could relocate to Caelin he'd send knights to help. I take it it's time?

Both knights nodded and looked around the village. Although the size of the city was larger than they'd expect, the amount of people living there was half what they expected. They were ready to escort at least a hundred men and women, but instead they saw half that number.

- I believe Lady Madelyn told your lord about a raid from the Taliver bandits' months ago? Well, if not for that, there would be many more of the Lorca for you to meet, but as it stands, what you see is what you get.

Segruk had assumed their curiosity was based on the amount of people living within Dunagar. The solemn look on their faces as both men nodded and walked away with Madelyn and Hassar told him he had been right. He looked at Lyn then and saw her looking around what would in the future be their home. When they talked about their visit to her grandfather, Lord Hausen, Lyn was ecstatic at the thought of meeting him. But now, looking at the only place she ever knew as home, she doubted she even wanted to leave. She doubted many of the people going would even want to be back, after all, they would not need to worry about another raid from the Taliver, being all the way in Lycian territory.

- You know, the workers are going to need supervision, and I'm considering staying behind, if you want.

She turned around, Segruk had been watching her as she took a last look around her home, and as usual, could tell what was going on inside her mind and what her heart wanted. She gave him a beaming smile and stood at the tip of her toes, pulling the large man down as she kissed him passionately.

- Thank you!

He just laughed it off and turned toward her parents, who were animatedly talking with Kent and Sain about Caelin and the living arrangements the Lord Caelin had made for their tribe.

- Hey! Lyn and I are going to stay behind, make sure the workers are doing their job properly; we'll catch up once we're done.

- Hmm…How long do you figure that'll be?

- With Batta and me here, helping build and keeping watch over the city…a month, maybe two. I asked for a special sort of construction workers, they should arrive next week, so that might speed it up more.

Hassar nodded then, a look at his daughter told him why Segruk had arranged for that. In all honesty, he was of two hearts about all this himself. Most of the tribesmen had said that as long as their families were safe, they'd stay in Caelin forever if need be. The only ones that actually refused to even leave were the warriors; who conveniently enough were also the ones working on their new city; saying that they wouldn't shame their Kings by fleeing a possible second battle. Their wives and children had decided to go with the rest of them, but it was mainly to keep their babies safe, something that every male in the clan agreed to.

* * *

It had been several days since the rest of the Lorca had left Sacae, to move into the land of Lord Hausen, who graciously offered them refuge from the Taliver. Lyn, Segruk and Batta had stayed behind, sending Mark with the marching soldiers, they were certain the tactician would prove a great help for them. They had fought against a scouting party from a few bandit camps near their hometown, but never a Taliver bandit. They had been disturbingly quiet ever since that defeat at the hands of the Lorca.

Lyn just watched as Segruk, with the help of some of his men, built the house they would live in. He had been against the idea of building himself a manse – "A fine Kind indeed, with no kingdom!" He had told his men – but at their insistence and her own; she loved how easy she made him accept these gifts; he relented and they built their King a manse, with extra rooms for their children and for whatever visitors they might have. Of course, for that they had to extend the walls around the city, as to accommodate the addition.

Batta had asked the favor of designing his own home, and surprised nearly everyone with the thoughtfulness he gave to possible invasions, hidden chambers to hold his weapons near the bed, a secret, underground passageway that let him go from his room directly outside and absolutely no windows on his bedroom.

* * *

The first month had passed by, and with the addition of the extra workers, mages from Etruria; Being Lady Caelin held some power after all; who started placing magic seals in some places of their city. The walls were given a resistance seal, making them impervious to magical attacks. On the watch towers there were seals that were used to create light that would not fade – A torch only illuminates for so long – And on the manse and the fort; it was basically a castle, but the warriors refused to call it that; they had placed an awareness seal, connected directly to the towers, that way the guards could warn them directly through the use of that.

The last piece hadn't been asked for, but the mages said that it was a prototype, and they would be its test. They did not tell that it was a present from Segruk's mother -She had been relieved beyond words her baby boy, was still alive. She had refused to remarry, going so far as to tell her parents she would commit suicide before allowing any "nobleman" to touch her. – And as they were paid for their services; a whooping total of one hundred thousand gold coins, they left satisfied with their work.

Segruk was atop the southern watch tower with his wife, surveying the construction of the last household while he held her close to him, his arms circling her and his hands resting on her stomach. It had been a month and a half since the rest of the tribe departed for Lycia, and they knew that they were already in Caelin, enjoying the Marquess' hospitality. Lyn now knew better than to doubt the men of her husband's clan; those men worked all day every day to make sure the houses would be ready by the time they reached their time limit.

Batta had, with the help of Lyn – _I really need to learn to deny her wishes_ – convinced Segruk to go Taliver hunting a few times during the course of the month. They had spotted a small bandit group heading eastward, toward Bulgar and decided they would not get close to the town. Segruk, his mind already hazed over with the possibility of battle, roared as he charged ahead of his wife and guard. He had wanted to kill something for a while now and he had decided that these men volunteered to die.

The group, a small party composed of seven brigands, fell quickly to the combined might of Segruk's ruthless strength, Lyn's graceful slashes, and Batta's beastly power. Lyn had killed three men, while both Segruk and Batta had finished off two men each. Every time they felled an enemy, they could feel themselves becoming stronger. It felt weird as they had been doing it for quite some time, but only now they really stopped to notice the difference.

Segruk looked over at Lyn, her body covered in her enemies' blood. The sight of his wife drenched in blood, her sword dripping with its victim's life source had his eyes glazed over, this time in lust as he approached her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, smashing his lips to her own firmly, his tongue brushing against her lips as he tasted the blood on them and she opened her mouth, granting him access to deepen their kiss. One of his hands had made its way down to her legs, caressing the exposed skin as she moaned into the kiss.

- Ahem…guys, you might want to continue this once we get back home.

Both knew he was right, and groaned disappointedly as their bodies separated, ending the kiss Segruk initiated and leaving them both hot and bothered. He saw Lyn mouthing 'later' to him as they started trekking back to their town and smiled. That was going to be a very good night.

* * *

Segruk had finished polishing and cleaning his love's sword. He wanted it to be in perfect condition when they left the next day to Caelin, he had a feeling the trip wouldn't be as simple as they expected it to be. He was making his way back to their manse, bumping into Batta on the way, who asked at what time he pretended to leave town.

- Midday at the gates Batta. We'll go to Bulgar first to buy some supplies and then to the temple near there, to pray for a safe journey.

The shorter man nodded and turned around, making his way toward his own home. Segruk then entered the manse, and made way to his bedroom, where he found his Lyn, waiting for him on the best, her dress opened up so he could see that she had taken off any under garments she wore and beckoned him to her. He walked to his bed, taking off his coat, the shoulder guards falling with it and letting his pants fall to the ground as he took away the belt holding it, the boots following suit as he climbed upon their bed, trailing kisses up her beautiful legs, throughout her torso, her chest and neck, and finally upon her lips as he supported his weight on one hand and used the other one to caress her body.

He could feel her hands softly trailing down his body, her leg rubbing against his own sensually as he deepened their kiss, his tongue brushing against her lips, asking permission that she happily granted, a moan escaping her lips as his tongue caressed her own gently while his hand stopped on her thigh and moved to her wet pussy, his fingers teasingly grazing her entrance as she moaned again. His lips left hers as he once again trailed soft kisses down her body, suckling gently at her neck as he moved downward, his kisses passing by her chest once again, and he gave each of her breasts a kiss before moving further down, his lips brushing ever so lightly against the skin on her stomach, which shook as a shiver passed through her body in anticipation.

One finger had entered her, a drawn out moan escaping her lips as his kisses passed her waistline, reaching the area of her crotch, where he stopped and simply looked back up at her, his finger sliding, at a pace that was agonizingly slow to her as she bucked her hips, trying to get him to speed up his ministrations. Segruk simply smiled slyly at her before kissing her inner thigh, and finally stopping at her entrance, his breathing making her body shiver again. Another kiss to her inner thighs, a lick near her pussy and she was almost demanding that he fuck her, but she held it in, her hips still bucked in rhythm with the sliding of his finger, which was soon joined by a second one; his index and middle finger now slid in and out of her at a slightly faster pace, which made her moans become louder as he kissed and teased her body with his lips and tongue.

He pulled his fingers away, making her groan in disappointment, but soon replaced them with his tongue as he used it to part her entrance, invading her and retreating moments later, and repeating the process. After some time, he just licked at her cunt, his tongue invading her and moving inside her as he watched her face become flushed. He then went to another spot that seemed to want attention. He turned his attention to her clit, licking slowly and gently at it, his fingers once again going inside her pussy while she moaned, her hands going to his head as he sucked at her clit, she raised her hips as she felt herself get closer to climax. Taking her raising hips as a good sign, he kept on sliding his fingers in and out of her, and with a long, drawn out moan, she came. Her body tensed and her hands left his head, preferring to grip the sheets as he kept licking and teasing her clit while his fingers slowed down, but kept moving in and out of her.

She took deep breaths as she rode through her orgasm, her face flushed red and her eyes glazed over as she looked down at her husband's face, who had a loving smile on his face as he pulled away from her sex.

- I do love it when you moan like that, love.

He moved up again, his lips meeting her own in a heated kiss that broke moments later when he turned her around, earning a gasp from Lyn. His eyes still were filled with lust as he placed her on her knees, her head touching the mattress as he lined up his cock with her entrance, rubbing it teasingly against her, drawing a groan from her as he used her juices to lube his hard on.

He moved slowly at first, allowing her some time to get used to the new intrusion. As she moved her body to meet with his owns he sped his own movements, his body slamming against her, the sound of their bodies roughly hitting against each other echoed through the silent night as Lyn moaned loudly, her head thrown upward as her lover mercilessly pounded his dick into her.

He took hold of her long her, his hand wrapping itself in it as he used his hold to pull her hear so that she looked at him, his other hands still firmly gripping at her waist, using it as leverage to pull her body to meet his own thrusts. She had a dazed look on her face, and he felt her insides clinging to his dick, demanding that let loose his own climax inside her. He slowed his thrusts, and though they lost the speed, the roughness was still the same as he pulled her upper body to him, a rough, passionate kiss shared between them for a moment before he picked his pace once again, making her moan into his mouth, one of her hands caressing his face while her other one lay gently atop the hand he used to hold her by the hip. She was so close to coming a second time. Lyn went back to her previous position as Segruk rammed his dick into her again and again, moans escaped her with every thrust he gave, her body clinging to his member. She was always so full with his long, thick dick when they had sex.

He felt himself coming closer to his limit, his dick tensed in the moment anticipating his release, while at the same time he could feel her walls tightening even more against him as her own body tensed in preparation. His rhythm became frantic, quick, rough thrusts into her as he felt her body milking his seed from him; another one of her long, drawn out moans warned him her own climax as he kept thrusting, slower and slower as he rode off the high of his orgasm.

She looked back toward him as he stopped, his dick still hard as he lay beside her, her legs giving out as her knees slipped and she now simply lay in bed, her breathing coming out in quick gasps for air, but she knew both of them wanted more, his body; well his dick anyway; was still as rigid as it was when they'd started, and the sight of him had her needing to feel him inside of her once again, and so she straddled him, rubbing her pussy against him as she rolled her hips back and forth, teasing him with het wetness, but she had had enough foreplay for one night, and aligned the head of his manhood with her entrance as she smiled sultrily at him.

- Round two…

* * *

Batta had gotten to the entrance of the city earlier, having slept like the dead. He looked toward the manse of Segruk and Lyn, he saw them coming, him with a large smile on his face, and her with the same satisfied smile as she hugged his arm, pressing it against her bosom. His battle-axe was lying on his right shoulder, his hand gripping at its handle firmly as he walked. They were going to visit Caelin, mostly due to Lyn's mother's insistence. As they passed by the Beast, Segruk nodded in his direction, acknowledging his presence, his mood being way too good for him to bother with the animosity he felt toward the man.

- To Bulgar then! Let's stock up in supplies before he take to Lycia.

They walked toward the largest city in Sacae, their own city of Dunagar being left under the care of his warriors, who promised that no one would dare attack in their absence.

* * *

AN: 1 – So, I was playing through Rekka no Ken and had this idea stuck in my head ever since. I know I promised to finish the other story before starting new projects, but apparently my muse was not present to hear such vow.

2 – This chapter also debuts my trial at a lemon scene. Someone had asked about them on the Naruto story, and I said I'd try my hand at it eventually…hope it doesn't suck completely '-' If it does, well, I'll just have to keep on trying I guess =3

3 – The fighting in this is hopefully acceptable, since I've been practicing by writing some stories in my native language (Portuguese) and no, I don't think I'll post those, I like using English as it reaches a broader audience…or so I like to believe '-'

4 – I have come up with the stats that each of my characters start off the story. I still need to make Batta's stats as I'm thinking what to make him into (He's a brigand, I need to think up a promotion for that) Now here are the stats for Lyn and my OC, Segruk

Lyn - Level 10

Health 24/24

Strength 10

Skill 12

Speed 16

Luck 9

Defense 3

Resistance 2

Weapon Level: Swords B

Segruk - Level 10 (Barbarian - Inexistent class In Rekka no Ken, I checked =P)

Health 38

Strength 15

Skill 10

Speed 10

Luck 5

Defense 12

Resistance 10

(Fire Affinity)

Weapon Level: Axes A

This should help the more knowledgeable in understanding where they stand. This chapter covered the equivalent to the tutorial levels. Starting next chapter I'll write about the happenings during the one year time skip the game does. Expect some noise from the Taliver bandits '-'

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it. Leave a review, as I'll read and answer them all as soon as I can. I should have Naruto and The Beast King's next chapter up soon, now that I have put this second idea into words '-'

See ya o/


	2. Chapter Two: The Pegasus Knight

Disclaimer: I still don't own Fire Emblem.

**Shouts**

_Thoughts_

Chapter Two: The Pegasus Knight

* * *

The trip to Bulgar had been rather uneventful, no bandits dared cross them while they traveled, and the only stopped once, when Lyn had asked her husband to help a traveling caravan being attack by a small group.

It had simply taken him the time to approach the brigands, shouting for them to face a real enemy and the men had fled at the sight of his battle-axe, famous amongst the bandits of Sacae. Batta watched as the couple walked comfortably, his left arm circling her and his hand resting on her waist, while she leaned slightly into his body as they walked. It made him remember his deceased wife and daughter, whom he loved so very much but fell victim of the infamous Taliver bandits.

Once inside the city of Bulgar, they heard the rumors about a new city being raised to the west, near the border to Bern where the Lorca used to reside, and that only the fiercest of warriors were ever seen entering or leaving its walls. The trio ignored the whispering of the townsfolk, directing their attention to the vendor that was near the eastern entrance to the city, to the far side from whence they came.

As they walked, they saw a small band leaving town, trying to draw as little attention to them as possible, but the sight of a girl with long pink hair and a Pegasus being pulled along made Lyn's blood run cold. She knew that girl…

- Florina!?

The girl's head shot up, her tear stained face showing the fear she felt, and even then she allowed herself a small smile as she heard the voice of her best friend. She had left Ilia months ago to join Lyn, who she heard was leaving Sacae to travel, but when she was approaching a village to ask for information, she didn't see exactly where it was that Huey was going, and in the end she ended up landing on Migal, from the Ganelon bandits.

She had asked for the man's forgiveness many times, but he was having none of it. The Pegasus would fetch him a high price, plus, the girl wasn't bad looking herself, and as such he might even get a good bonus from his boss if he'd sold her to the man.

The problem, however, was that on their trip back to the hideout, they learned that some warriors had destroyed their base, and the rest of their group fled somewhere they didn't know, and now they had nowhere to hide in, so he kept on the move trying every contact he had among slave traders for a good price on the girl; maybe enough that he'd be able to settle down somewhere in Bern or Lycia. He didn't dare touch her, after all, damaged goods didn't fetch nearly the same price as unscathed ones did, but that didn't mean they didn't ogle, or had her use her hands; _not like anyone would learn about that_.

They had stopped again in Bulgar to try and sell of the Pegasus girl, who refused to tell them her name, and with no luck – again – They were leaving toward the next hideout when someone shouted and the meek pink haired chick looked up with something of a smile on her face. That wasn't good.

He turned his face and saw the large frame of what many had been calling the Berserker King, with the Sword Princess and surprisingly, Batta the Beast. He felt a sudden lump forming in his throat, forcing him to swallow it down with an audible gulp, as the trio walked over to them, the scowl of the King's face telling of the doom that fell upon his little group of thugs.

- Florina! Are you okay?

His voice had been filled with worry for the girl, but the moment his eyes landed on Migal again, they filled with unrestrained rage. The thought of those filthy mongrels even coming close to the sweet, timid girl infuriated him, and he felt his mind becoming a haze, as it usually did whenever he was angered or when entering a battle. Wouldn't be long now until he'd decide that he wanted to make them wish he'd kill them.

No roar came this time, but a low growl told much more about the anger welling up in his chest as he moved forward, his battle-axe falling to the ground, forgotten for the moment. The bandit's eyes were wide in fear as he raised his arm, grasping at the man's hair before pulling him along as Segruk walked to the exit of the town; it wouldn't do to scare the children; the forest that extended to the left of said exit was the perfect place for this little "discussion".

* * *

While Segruk dealt with the bandit leader, Lyn and Batta made quick work of the ones that still held onto Florina and Huey, her Pegasus. He girl launched herself into Lyn's embrace, sobbing loudly as she told them that they were taking her to a hideout, and had decided to "keep" her since not a single offer had come from any traders. She told them about looking for her when she heard about her leaving the plains, but landing on a bandit by mistake; no one dared stand up to the man, too fearful to do anything, the only group that would really do anything had left to their next destination minutes earlier.

She told them about her time as their "servant", being the made to strip for their entertainment and refusing the order, only to have her clothes torn and having to be naked around the men since. They refrained from going too far, but made her give them hand jobs and blow jobs whenever they felt like it. She tried resisting, but they broke one of Huey's wings, and said that if she kept fighting the animal would pay.

She stopped speaking as pained screams came from where Segruk had taken Migal; something told them that the man would really wish he'd died by the end of it all. Moments later, the large Berserker appeared from the forest, his eyes clouded with rage as he stared at Florina.

- You are never leaving my sight again. Is that understood?

The girl just nodded meekly, controlling the urge to hug the man for comfort as he turned to Batta.

- You! – The Beast gave a startled reply of acknowledgement, hoping his boss didn't rethink his decision of letting him live – Make sure that no Ganelon we see lives from this day forward. That's an order, you let even one escape and I'll destroy you instead!

His voice was so filled with hate that Batta simply nodded, too afraid to even form a proper reply. They all noticed as Segruk then scanned the city, looking for something, only stopping once he saw an orphanage a few meters away from them, the priest that looked after the children leaving with his staff in hand, probably to find a job as a fund raiser.

- Hey, priest!

The man stopped, looking around until he came upon the visage of Segruk and his group, the large man had a vicious grin on his face as he beckoned him closer. He walked over to the group and smiled kindly, though his eyes scanned every one of them, trying to discern their intentions, but seeing little in their masks of indifference. The only one showing any emotion at all was the large male, but even then only joy could be seen in his eyes.

- May I help you?

His voice matched his smile; it was a soft and kind tone, as he looked into the eyes of the male in front of him.

- Yes you can! Now, I was wondering if you'd do a little job for me in exchange for a donation to your orphanage.

The priest nodded, he'd taken many jobs through the years to raise funds for the children in his care, and this was no different. Usually groups asked that accompany them to their destination, or that they are let into the orphanage for some time to rest before resuming their journey.

- Okay. Now promise me that no matter what you'll go through with your part of the deal.

- I promise I won't abandon my obligation.

Segruk grinned once more before waving all of them over as he turned around and left the city. They entered the forest, and moments later they came upon two trees next to each other, and tied to them was Migal, his left arm and leg held by some sort of rope to one of them, and to the other were his right arm and leg, in a way that made it so it looked like the man was standing, arms and legs spread out, and blood poured from his crotch.

- Use that prayer to Saint Elimine you holy men know and heal him. I want him alive.

The man looked pale and weak, but upon hearing those words, he struggled against his restraints and pleaded to be let die, pleaded for that last mercy. Segruk grinned sadistically at the man as the priest started his prayer, the look in the eyes of Migal going from desperate to resigned as he could feel the effects of the ability St Elimine passed down to her followers. Batta, watching the scene, was curious about one thing.

- Okay, I can guess what you did, but where did you put it?

Here the King laughed out loud as the prayer was finished and the holy man turned his attention to the conversation going on beside him.

- I rammed it up his ass. The balls I had him eat. Now then, I guess you know better than to touch what's mine, eh? You are the slave now, and expect to be treated as such by my men. I have some who like…male company, if you know what I mean. They might have use for you. Batta, get him off that tree and tie him to Huey.

Here he turned to Florina, his eyes softening as he took a few steps toward her.

- Can you do a favor for me, Florina? Ask Huey to take him to Dunagar…and tell her no flying.

Batta tied the man's legs to Huey's saddle, while Segruk gagged the man and wrote a note on said gag before tying his hands behind his back.

- And you, priest, are to go with Huey, making sure he – He stomped on Migal's stomach – stays alive during the travel. Do that and when you come back there'll be a generous amount waiting for you with Batta here.

With that he took Lyn's hand in his own, and placing a hand on Florina's back he led them away from the clearing, leaving a scared priest and an amused Batta behind.

- Gotta remember to be on the boss' good side, then.

He reminded himself as he watched Huey take off with the holy man and Migal, who was being dragged behind her.

* * *

Segruk, Lyn and Florina had made their way back to the city's Inn, and as they entered the room they'd be using for the day, Florina, who was now being carried by her male companion, had fallen asleep. Lyn watched the girl she'd come to think of as a younger sister sleep in the arms of her husband and couldn't help but remember a talk she'd had with Segruk some years back.

**† Flashback †**

She had a resigned look on her face as she searched for Segruk, the guy she'd fallen in love with. Florina, a Pegasus Knight in training from Ilia hung from a tree as her Pegasus trotted around it, she had a deadpan look on her face when she encountered the girl, who seemed to be crying, but she helped her nonetheless and they became fast friends. Her visits came more often after a year and they talked and took walks near the Lorca village. Lyn learned of Florina's shyness around men, and it became clear when she saw Segruk for the first time. He'd tried a normal greeting, a hand shake with her, but the girl squeaked and hid behind Lyndis, who laughed it off and explained everything to her betrothed.

Segruk had vowed to help the girl get over it once he heard about her dream of becoming a Pegasus Knight and the requirement of joining a mercenary band to gain experience. He started taking the walks with the girls, entering their small talk and staying close to them, or just being near them as they trained together. He had met Huey, the Pegasus, and became friends with her quite fast, since he loved animals. Florina stopped stuttering around him after some time, and could even concentrate properly as she trained with Lyn when he was around.

But that was when things got complicated, they had mistaken that as her making progress, but in fact she felt comfortable around him because the girl had started falling for the barbarian. Lyn noticed it as she watched the girl interact with Segruk, the smiles she gave him, the way she looked away with a blush and a smile whenever he winked at her when he was being mischievous. Sure there was the natural jealousy, in her head Segruk was hers and no one else's, but she was meek little Florina, it wasn't very likely that she'd be as comfortable around another man, and she wanted her happiness more than anything in this world. And that brought her to the reason she searched for Segruk, she wanted him to be with the girl, but there was no way she was letting him go like that, so she spoke with some of the warriors from his clan and learned that in some cases; rare though they were; the Kings took more than one wife, having one as "head wife" and the other as concubine.

So engrossed in her thoughts, Lyn never noticed as the very person she was looking for came toward her, stopping in front of her with a saddened face and ended up bumping into him, the only thing that kept her from falling back was the strong hands of her soon to be husband on her shoulders.

- Hey. What's got you this concentrated?

She looked up at him, startled for a moment, before her eyes gained a determined glint.

- I need to talk to you. It's about Florina.

Here she saw as he sighed and his eyes saddened a bit. For a moment she feared he was going to annul their marriage so he could be with Florina.

- Yeah…about that. I think that she might…you know…love me. And I wanted your help in letting her down, gently.

That was a surprise. As a principle, Segruk was never gentle to anyone; the exception being Lyn herself and his father; and that told her more than he could have ever explain in other words. She allowed herself a small smile then, her idea might not be so idiotic after all.

- Well…I actually wanted you to be with her. You see, we both know that she's as likely to be comfortable around other men as you are of being gentle to anyone. – He chuckled and nodded, though his eyes were intently on her, showing his curiosity – And I love her as a sister, and want her to be happy. And she has a chance at that now, so I spoke with some men from your clan, and they said that there were times when the leader was known to take on concubines, because the wife was unable to sire offspring, or even for their protection from enslavement. So it got me thinking that, you know, you could…

Here she stopped and looked down, not seeing as his curious expression turned to a dumbfounded one. He hadn't just heard that.

- Let's get this straight. You want me to take Florina as a concubine, because not only is it highly unlikely she'll really get over her "shyness" of men, but also because you want to see her be happy and you believed she'll be happy with me? –She nodded, not meeting his eyes, which made him sigh – You speak to her then. If doing this will make **you** happy, I'll give it a shot.

* * *

He cursed how persuasive his Lyn could be when she wanted. Florina, the girl that had fallen for him, and out of the goodness of her blessed heart, Lyn had gotten him to accept taking her as concubine after they marries in a few months. The girl had not exactly been ecstatic about it, but she knew there was good reasoning with what Lyndis had told her; she tried, after weeks of being near Segruk, talking to his father and couldn't even from a sentence without hiding behind Segruk for comfort; so she said that she'd need to speak to her sisters, especially Fiora, the oldest since she didn't want to do anything against their wishes.

It had taken a few weeks, but when she came back, Florina was accompanied by another girl, with longer green hair, and a light blue ornament tied around her forehead. She had spoken to Dunagar, Segruk and Lyn, and that gave her the chance to see her little sister interacting with the man they had spoken about. She saw how comfortable she was around him, and how being near him gave her the confidence she needed to interact with others without retreating to her shell like she normally did. In the end, she conceded as long as her little sister was happy, but before she left Fiora had told Segruk that should he ever break her heart, she'd rip his out of his chest and make him eat it.

- Segruk my son, I think she likes you!

His father roared with laughter as he just stared after her, watching as she left the village on her Pegasus, whom he never got to know; _Shame, really, he looked as fun to be around as Huey is_.

**† Flashback Ends †**

They left her on the bed and Segruk then sat down on the table near it, his face darkened as he let his anger at himself show.

I knew I shouldn't have let her leave. The bandits have been more active these last years, just look at what nearly happened to your tribe!

He was whispering as to not disturb the girl now sleeping on the bed, but his voice was a growl and Lyn knew that he would be roaring to the four winds in any other situation. Again, it just showed how much he cared, he wouldn't mind shouting if it were anyone else, be it man or woman, but that was his Florina, and just as he was with her, Segruk made sure to be as much of a gentleman as possible; _Whenever it needs to be so, other times he's just Segruk_. She smiled at him and placed a hand on his cheek, caressing it as she tried to comfort him.

What were you supposed to do? Keep her from seeing her family? You know you'd never do that to her. It's not your fault; it's the Ganelon group's fault. We'll hunt them down, I swear.

He sighed as her hand pressed against his face, which made him instinctively lean toward it, the fact it was his wife made his mood lighten, but only slightly. As she spoke however, he knew she had been right. How could he ever deny his Florina that request? She wanted to see her sisters, who had come back home after years in the service of some lord or other, and he knew she missed them dearly. She had been away for some years after that, probably still with her sisters, and then, when she was finally coming back to them, that mother fucking bandit took her.

A growl escaped his lips, and his heart hastened its beating, only to freeze a moment later when he heard whimpering from the bed where Florina had been. Both he and Lyn jumped to their feet and were by her sides seconds later, Segruk encircled her in an embrace as Lyn caressed her hair, both telling her that she was okay, and that no one would ever take her away from them again. Slowly, the girl stopped trembling as the nightmare seemed to subside, and she leaned into the warmth of the embrace, her face stained with tears, which made the male look at her with concern, before turning his head to Lyndis, who had the same expression on her face. Ganelon was going to lose a bandit group.

* * *

The next morning, once he had left the room he'd shared with Lyn and Florina, Segruk encountered Batta, who'd told him that the priest had come back after delivering the clan's new Thrall; only really, they never left any enemies alive for that, nor did they buy off traders; telling him that the priest had politely asked that they never call on his services again. That, at least, had gotten a laugh out of the large barbarian, who then proceeded to go to Huey, who seemed rather pleased with herself, having dragged the screaming man across the plains to Dunagar. He spoke to her, checking her over for lasting injuries and the like, which, to his relief and, honestly, utter disbelief, there weren't. He just stroked at the Pegasus' mane, telling her that she'd be safe from now on and making small talk with the animal; Batta never really understood why his boss was so kind to beasts but tortured humans like it was a game.

Lyn came out of the room minutes later, telling them that Florina was taking a shower, and the two males nodded, their eyes darkening a bit. Sure they were both considered barbarians, but even then they'd never stoop so low as to force themselves upon a woman like that. Segruk placed a hand on Batta's shoulder, leading the man to a more private place on the Inn, and Lyn follow not far behind, but keeping enough distance as to be able to see any uninvited "guests" the little meeting could have.

- Now that I'm not a heartbeat from razing this and every town she's been to and they just watched I want you to disregard that order I gave you yesterday. – Batta was about to protest, but Segruk grinned sadistically at him – I'm the one who's killing them, no one else. The only other person allowed to tear them open is Lyndis. You are to make sure my Florina is safe. And you get any ideas, I'll be sure a ripped off dick is the least of your worries.

Batta was going to shout indignantly, deny he'd ever think of touching his boss' lady like that, when he remembered that he had worked with the Ganelon bandits once or twice in the past. He had told Segruk about it of course, he wanted the man to trust him after all, and the best way to that was to be honest; and though he was a Sacaean, he knew that the fact he'd been a bandit overruled the fact the no true Sacaean would ever lie; and just nodded at Segruk, which made the man smile, this one less sadistic, but only slightly so.

- Good. It'd be a damn shame to lose a good fighter. Now, the current plan is to wait until Florina is ready and head east, there's a temple near here that the Sacaeans go to pray for safe journeys, and Lyn wants to go. I'm sure you, as a Sacaean wants to as well. – The Beast just nodded – and Florina won't mind as long as she's with Lyn here.

Batta was then made to watch over Huey as both Lyn and Segruk went back inside the room to speak to Florina. Upon entering, the girl threw herself at him, her arms around his neck as she muttered apology after apology onto his chest.

- Hey, don't talk like that. You were outnumbered and unprepared; you are hardly at fault here. And besides, like I said, you are never leaving my side again.

She nodded, her face turning upward slightly as she stood on the tip of her toes, her lips gently pressing against his. An innocent show of affection, but considering how shy she always was, Segruk considered it as passionate as when Lyn would kiss him. He caressed her face, making her give a gentle, contented sigh before pulling away.

- Thanks…for saving me.

He didn't think himself worth of that, so he just nodded and smiled kindly at her, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

- Huey came back earlier today, and whenever you're ready we'll be taking off. We're going to Caelin, to meet Lyndis' grandfather.

Florina looked at her best friend, surprised that she had a grandfather, since she never mentioned having family outside her mother and father. She nodded nonetheless, her arms leaving their comfortable resting place on his shoulders as he also gave one step backward, to give the girl some space.

- I'm…I'm ready now, if that's okay.

- Sure it is…oh, and no flying unless I ask you to take the skies to scout ahead.

She nodded but huffed indignantly, earning a giggle from Lyn to which Florina crossed her arms and pouted. Segruk laughed at that, before leaning down and pecking her on the lips and then turning around as he straightened and leaving the room. Florina then sighed, she knew he was only looking out for her by doing that, but she loved the feeling of the wind on her face as she flew with Huey, and she hadn't been able to for months. She shook her head to send the thoughts of the time she was held captive away, before following after Segruk, Lyn close behind her, as though to guard her.

* * *

The trip to the temple had been an uneventful one, and once there, Lyn had asked the priest inside that she be able to see the Manni Katti and pray for a safe journey. The priest, who had been saved by the girl's parents - something he discovered after a quick conversation with the girl, her resemblance to her mother was uncanny – had permitted that she touch the blade's sheath as she prayed, something he did for her parents as well.

Once she had her hands on the blade, it started shining, which startled the priest and made all of the travelers apprehensive.

- The spirits have accepted you…oh my, I never dreamed I'd be able to see this blade reach its owner…but here you are…It's my pleasure to deliver your blade to you, Lyndis.

Although startled, the old man spoke with a kind tone to her, and smiled as he saw her draw the blade, something no one had been able to do before. It was then Batta's turn to pray at the altar for a safe journey, and as he finished, the group thanked the priest and left, trekking west, to the border of Sacae and Bern, since it was part of the route they needed to make to get to Lycia, where her family was.

On their way through, they passed by a few razed villages, and near the entrance to one such village, there was a bow left on the floor, with a burned body near it. Segruk insisted they stop to pay due respect to the – apparently – only defender that village had during the raid. He knelt next to the bow and picked it up, placing it on the outstretched hand of the body; the attack seemed to have been recent, since he hadn't decomposed yet.

- May the ancestors welcome you with open arms, warrior.

With that he got up, looking once again at the burned down village and vowing he'd never allow such a thing to happen to his home, Segruk turned around and continued his trek to Araphen, the city under Marquess Araphen, the man whom Lady Madelyn told him was a conceited, prejudicial man who was as likely to help Sacaeans as any other Lycian noble; Any noble in Elibe held such prejudice, but there were cases, like the Marquess Araphen, who took it to a new level; and that made Segruk dislike the man without ever meeting him.

They ran into little trouble on the way to the border, but once there, they saw that many bandits had made camp, impeding the passing of anyone. Segruk's head abruptly turned to a tent to the left, where two men had been observing the ladies, leering at his women. They sounded what must have been the intended alarm, which was one of the men imitating the by now infamous battle roar he and his father gave before a fight broke out. He noticed a tall, strong fighter leaving a tent he used alone with a sad expression on his face, the most noticeable thing being his short dark red hair and goatee and the thick necklace he wore, which at the distance they were from each other seemed more like a slave's bond than an actual necklace.

- I don't care about the men! Don't hurt the girls though, we can use them later!

Many laughed at their leader's words and it only server to increase the already strong craze Segruk found himself falling into. He noticed how many of the men were actually archers, and turned to Florina, who had her beautiful face contorted into a frown, worried about both being captive again and the archers.

- This is no battle for you Florina, there're too many archers here, go back to the village we last saw and wait there. It isn't that far, you should know when the battle's over.

She hesitated. She wanted to stay and help him, but she also knew that if he kept worrying over her and Huey he'd never fight to the max, so she conceded and mounted her Pegasus, dashing away for a few moments before they took to the skies, retreating to the nearest village.

Segruk allowed himself a small smile at her retreating form before he looked at Lyn, wanting her to leave, but the look in her eyes and the shake of the head she offered him gave him pause and he only sighed, nodding his acceptance of her help.

- You and Batta stick to the forest, they'll want to capture you, and so there'll be probably quite a few of them for you guys to kill.

- But…what about you?

- I'll do what I do best…go berserk.

With that he turned once more to the field of battle and allowed his mind to cloud over with battle instincts, his mouth opening in a mighty roar as he dashed forward, counting inside his head the amount of enemies he was dealing with. _Hmm…That's twenty five, not counting the small squadron sent after Batta and Lyn…this ought'a be fun!_

The first one fell to a quick swing of his axe, which made him laugh joyously. It had been so long since the last decent battle he participated in, that he was starting to think there were no actual challenges out there anymore. But these men seemed to have a moderately good tactic, they sent out small waves of attack to try and wear him down as the archers rained metal and wood on his position. Thankfully many of said archers were terrible aims, since he only got scratches on his face and the arrows that stuck were now harmlessly hanging from his coat; which held a plate armor underneath it; and some pierced on his arms, but he paid those no mind, it served only to increase his rage, and as such, his effectiveness in battle.

The brigands that came his way were ridiculously weak, and they fell just as fast as they came to him, and that disappointed his greatly. Did these men really rely so much on their strength that they had no real speed to work on? Where were their defenses when fighting? He wanted to groan his disappointment as yet another one fell to the floor, and through the corner of his eye he could see that from the forest's entrance came out a blood soaked but fine Batta, and an equally soaked Lyn, her face contorted into a small smile; his personality had rubbed off on her somewhat, the girl became as much a fan of battle as he was; and that lifted some of his worry.

He ordered them to take care of the archers as another wave of attackers came crashing onto him, his axe resonated the same happiness he felt as yet another man was cut open and he grinned cruelly at the others. He knew none of the archers would actually fire against the woman they wanted to take as their own, and that was going to give Batta a good advantage if he knew how to use it. As the last wave died, Segruk noticed there were only two men left, the tall fighter from before and what he could only believe was the leader of this little group. To the sound of the archers' dying screams, the leader sent the red haired fighter to engage him.

- I'm sorry, but I need the gold for my wife's operation.

- Is that what you told the fathers, mothers and sons and daughters you've already killed? No, you are not forgiven, and neither will you die tonight, you are not worthy a warrior's death.

With that they clashed, the fighter was as strong as his body suggested, Segruk's arms wavering ever so slightly under the force of his blows as he used the handle of the massive battle-axe to block them, but they lacked the malice the other men he fought had. It was as though the man really felt sorry for what he was doing; although being for his dear wife he submitted himself to do it; and that made the contempt Segruk held for the man turn into a small wave of respect; he could appreciate doing anything for someone you love, after all; and as he promised, the man wouldn't die, but instead of becoming his Thrall, the King supposed he could have the fighter join him.

He stepped backward to dodge another slash of the axe, and taking the opening the missed swing gave him, used the handle of his battle-axe to sweep the feet from under him, making the man lose his balance and fall face first onto the ground, the axe escaping his grasp with the surprise. Segruk looked at the bandit leader, the man's eyes were large with fear and there was the unmistakable stench of piss in the air, to which he laughed as he approached. He felt himself becoming stronger at least twice during the battle, and absently wondered why he could tell that just by fighting.

- Now then, you will tell me from which group you are, and depending on your answer you might even live!

His voice was cheerful, but the murderous glint in his eyes told the man otherwise. That was done as intimidation; no one should be that cheery after the slaughter that just happened, and if Bug was honest with himself, it was working wonderfully.

- I'm…I'm of the Ganelon Bandits…I'm…we were the last of the group, since most died to an attack on our base months ago.

Segruk grinned widely then, the madness in his eyes intensifying as he drew nearer to the man.

- Oh, so you're the last eh? Then I declare the Ganelon Bandits extinct!

With that he swung his axe, the blade tearing through the man's skull, the body swaying a little on its feet before falling backward to the grassy fields they stood on. Segruk gave another roar, this one demonstrating the joy he felt at being victorious, and then he turned to where he'd last seen Lyn and Batta, both of them making their way to him as he nodded in their direction, his eyes lingering on the form of his wife before he turned to the downed fighter.

- Stand, O warrior that we may speak of your new servitude, to me.

The man was slow on his standing, the impact having clearly sent him into a daze. He raised his glazed eyes to the Berserker, whose eyes now lest the intensity they held when in battle, but there was still the battle hunger in them, and that was somewhat unnerving. He'd yet to meet someone who longed for battle after having just survived one.

- Servitude?

- Yep! – His tone was too cheerful for someone who just killed so many men – I spared you in battle and as the victor, I gain the spoils. You are one such spoil. Now, you can become a warrior under me, to which there will be pays and good care; Ask Batta. Or you can become a Thrall, in which case I'll send you to Dunagar where you'll…serve…as power up for the shamans' magic rituals.

His eyes never left the fighter's, he knew the answer before he asked the question, but he felt like having a little fun with the man; he still needed to wait for Florina anyway.

- So which is it? Became my warrior and get paid; maybe enough for your wife's operation; or become a Thrall and live the rest of your days as a shaman's toy?

He grinned as the man shook his head a few times; to comprehend the question or to drive away the dizziness he didn't know; before the man settled his slowly recovering eyes onto his once again. The difference in height between them was nearly nonexistent, and that satisfied the Berserker's desire for a good bodyguard for his wife; _if he doesn't decide on being a Thrall, that is_. He couldn't help but chuckle to him at that, the thought alone was too incredulous to be true, the man seemed like a born warrior, and there was little chance he'd deny the proposition.

- I'll come with you…if only to repay the kindness you've shown upon sparing me.

Both Batta and Lyn actually laughed at that. It was no show of kindness. The man was only spared because he must have seen a good bodyguard on him, or else he'd join the corpses that now littered the field and they knew it. The same happened to Batta, though Lyn herself played a part in that.

- Honey!

A voice unknown to three of the people talking echoed in the night's sky – _The sun must have set at a point during the battle…_- Segruk turned to the general direction of the voice, encountering a white Pegasus coming in his direction. Atop the beautiful beast was his second wife; concubine really, but no one argued when he called her that; and a woman he'd never seen before, and as Huey landed, Florina launched herself from her sitting place and threw her arms around Segruk, pulling him into a gentle kiss before stepping back with a smile.

- I'm glad you're okay, Segruk…Oh, yeah…I found this woman in the village, she said she's been looking for her husband for the last month or so, but had little to no luck in finding him so far, so I thought maybe he'd be with these guys here…and well…

Her voice failed a little as the red headed male stepped forward to thank her, making her step closer to Segruk and hold his arm near her, as if for protection from the fighter.

- She's rather shy around men. She'll open up with time…ask Batta, she's been able to…talk –stutter -…to him for the last two days or so.

The man stopped, nodded and just gave the girl a small thankful smile before turning to his wife.

- Natalie…I'm sorry for worrying you, dear. But we needed the money for that operation, and no one else was willing to offer me a decent job.

The woman smiled, her eyes filling with tears as she limped toward her husband and hugged him, her face on his chest.

- It's okay…I'm just so glad you're alive…

- Yeah…I'm sorry dear. I will need to go with them to repay being spared. I'll be back, I promise.

The rest of the group had moved away from the couple to give them privacy, but Segruk had made it so he could still keep an eye on the man. He didn't trust him at all, and wouldn't put it beyond him to just abandon his word and flee with his wife. He them turned to Lyn, Batta and Florina.

- I spoke to the leader…they were Ganelon Bandits, and apparently these were the remnants of the group. They are supposedly instinct as of today. Batta, did you kill everyone you encountered?

He didn't bother asking Lyndis since, as he knew, his battle lust rubbed off on her; which in his eyes made her even hotter; but he was still working on acknowledging Batta as trustworthy. The Beast gave his boss a nod and even turned to Lady Lyndis for confirmation.

- Yes sir. Lady Lyndis can testify to that.

Segruk raised an eyebrow to the man but turned to Lyn all the same, and she confirmed that no brigand left their eyesight alive, and Batta had gone as far as decapitating them to make sure they were nice and properly dead. Segruk looked back at the man and acknowledged the accomplishment with a nod to him, before turning to where the red headed man and Natalie were.

- Okay, Dorcas. I'll pray for your return then…but where do I go now? The village we lived in was razed a few days back.

Segruk grunted the affirmative, and seeing Dorcas' surprised face, he now knew that it was not the work of the Ganelon bunch. He looked to Lyn quickly, the same name in both their heads. Taliver, they must have started activities again recently. But why wait so long? He shook that off and turned to Natalie.

- Well, since your husband is now under my service, I could arrange it so you may move into Dunagar, the city we – he pointed at each member of his group – live in. I'm going to Caelin now to settle down a few matters, and I'm probably going to be Dunagar's ruler once I'm back. But for that I'll need you to come with us to Caelin, since as you can see our group is not exactly a large one, and I have not the manpower to escort you back safely.

He didn't understand why Dorcas looked at him with so much surprise. As the leader of his father's clan, it was his duty to look after his own, and although the man was still in what he'd call probation, he was part of that clan now. He focused on Natalie, since this was a decision she needed to make, not her husband, and seeing upon seeing the worry on her face as she tried held her bad leg, he gave her a somewhat kind smile.

Do not worry about that, Natalie. I'm sure Huey wouldn't mind if you rode on her back during this trip…Florina needs to learn how to properly fight on foot anyway.

He heard the groan and giggle that followed his proclamation, as well as the appreciative noise that came from the female Pegasus.

See, she really doesn't mind. Besides, she agrees with me…Florina, the battle today is an example, if Huey is incapable of flight you become a liability, and as such I'll train you so you can fight even if dismounted.

The words were harsh, but the tone in which he spoke was so soft and gentle, to the new additions it was as though he was a different man altogether. They heard the girl squeak an "I understand, honey" which made him smile as he turned his head back to them.

Well then! Let's move out!

Dorcas helped his wife on mounting Huey as the others took a moment to clean their weapons. The fighter noticed how the large man took the green haired woman's sword to clean it himself, while the blonde brigand searched the bodies of the fallen for additional loot, such as gold, more weapons or even some medication, all the while making light hearted conversation with each other.

* * *

A week had passed without much happening. They passed the borders from Sacae into Bern territory without much trouble, once there, they noticed that there was some movement by the part of the bandit groups, especially one that people called the Black Fang, an organization that seemed to be more mercenary than actual bandits. Taking jobs against the nobles that oppressed their citizenry, and evil doers. The people of Bern actually supported the organization completely, but some people spoke of changes, the leader had recently remarried, and now he was slowly becoming as evil as the men he'd kill months ago.

Segruk personally couldn't care less about Bern's problems, or anyone else's really. He loved battle, and certainly would have loved to fight these mercenaries, but unless they threatened his wives, he wouldn't stop their march for nothing. They weren't on Bern for long though, the border into Lycia was quite near where the town they'd stopped in, and Araphen could already be seen on the horizon.

Their brief stay on Araphen had been stressful. At least for Segruk it was. The moment the marquess had discovered Lyndis was passing through, he'd all but demanded to meet the girl, and said that as recompense for having his castle invaded by Lundgreen two months back, he'd asked for the girl's hand in marriage, which, in his story at least, her grandfather conceded to. Segruk had taken hold of the pompous bastard as lifted him into the air his legs uselessly dangling in the air as he growled and told the man that if he'd ever speak of his wife like that again, he'd make sure the attack from Lundgreen; though he didn't really know the extent of the forces this Lundgreen man had sent; would feel like a nice breeze.

Said marquess had demanded to be let down, and that the she keep her barbarian pet in check lest he killed the man. Segruk let the marquess down and looked thoughtful for a moment, before a grin spread on his face.

- Barbarian pet, you say? I, King of the Berserker clan, am called a pet of all things by you?

The marquesses surprised showed at that. But it was soon replaced by skepticism and the man scoffed at the idea.

- Barbarians have no kings. Those illiterate mongrels can hardly maintain themselves in a pacified group without a proper leadership.

That had probably been a reference to the fact that a caravan had passed through with Madelyn, and the fact that the woman was a Lycian noble had given him enough to go on a small rant.

- Now then. You must abide by your lord's decision, girl. You are to stay here, and these brutes may pass on their way to their master's side.

Segruk just grinned widely at the man. There were times, moments before a battle where he'd try to keep the haziness that came to him in check long enough to plan something. But this time he called on it, appreciating the feeling of enhanced madness it brought him as ideas on how to maim the pompous bastard swarmed his mind. Maybe he'd tie the man's limbs to horses and watch as the beasts galloped in opposite directions? Or maybe he'd put the old bastard inside an iron maiden, and relish the screams he'd give before dying? So engrossed in his imagination that he'd forgotten he still had the noble on his hold and as he tightened his grip on the man's vests, the clothing was slowly strangling the man as it stretched to its max to accommodate the grip.

- …ey…Honey, you're choking him.

He blinked several times, the madness receding just enough that he was able to look toward Lyn who had a hand on his forearm, trying to pacify the rage she could still see in his eyes. He looked back at the nobleman, and saw that indeed the man looked a little paler than usual, and opened both hands at the same time, unceremoniously dropping Marquess Araphen onto his ass, which made the man squeak and gasp for air at the same time, producing an odd, funny sound.

- Hmm…sorry dear. We better go, I believe, lest I take this territory as my own for his insolence.

Among "barbarians", one didn't simply accost a married woman at all and not expect repercussions. He supposed Lyndis' grandfather would be of same mind once he heard what happened.

* * *

Leaving Araphen and the arrogance of its marquess behind, the group headed south, toward Kathelet, the province that separated it from Caelin. It was not a big province at all, much unlike Araphen, which Dorcas and Natalie told them was the second biggest city in Lycia, the first being Ostia, the dominant province of the country. Segruk counted on his head the time they had taken to pass from their home, in Sacae, to Kathelet, and knew that they were most likely behind schedule, but that was mostly because none of them had counted on the draw backs the group encountered. The border block being the one that worried him mostly; Florina's rescue had fallen to a close second because if the bandits thought they could just impede people from going to Bern like that, they must believe they owned all of Sacae; and he knew that once they were back, he'd need to make sure bandits were no longer a concern to Sacae – mostly Lyndis, Florina and their city – and started making plans as they reached the border of Caelin.

After that it had been but a day and they were on the castle walls, and they could see the village that Lord Hausen had built for the Lorca off to the west, near a passing river. All of them could see how well the nomads had adapted to their new home, and Segruk's heart fell at the thought of Lyn's parents staying in Caelin and asking her to stay with them. He knew she loved them dearly, and the thought of being unable to stay with her – his men were back in Dunagar, and first and foremost he was their new leader, heir to their King – tore at him, and as they entered the gates, behind which her family stood, the King turned to where he could see some of the warrior he'd sent with the caravan and trekked toward them, to get the tale of their trip from them, letting his wife and her family have their reunion.

* * *

From his warrior Segruk learned that they only started having trouble once they crossed the border into Lycia, starting in Araphen where the marquess demanded Madelyn repay his kindness in allowing the "savages" to go through, placing his dominion in danger in the process, and as compensation; how he'd known of their daughter, something that only her father should know, both Madelyn and Hassar would never know; he wanted her savage offspring as a wife, seeing as he had yet to produce any heirs, she'd make a fine spouse.

The warrior told him that both Hassar and Madelyn laughed at the idea and said that if he'd ever mention that again, they would make sure Lyn's husband knew. After that, every city they passed through was another confrontation, they had helped a boy; Nils, the man had said the kid was named; and his sister escape from an organization – Black Fang, a name that held Segruk's curiosity throughout the story – and both of them remained in the castle of Caelin since the girl had seemed quite sick.

They had even strayed from their path to help the children retrieve a special item, an heirloom from their mother, Nini's Grace the name of the ring was, and then proceeded to siege the castle from the Marquess' brother, the man had put up quite the fight, and had shown that although he had fallen from a respectable position; it was inconceivable that he'd harm family; he was a true General. After that they had entered the castle, the women and children sent to the village built as their new home, while the Lady went to her father's side.

Segruk nodded as the story ended, he didn't learn much that he didn't already know or suspect, but the Black Fang involvement caught his interest, and he promised himself he'd meet the children before they left Caelin. He looked back toward his wife, who was speaking animatedly with her grandfather, who seemed genuinely happy to have her near him, and then to his warrior.

- What are your thoughts about this land? Do you reckon they'll be staying here?

- The people from Hassar's tribe most likely will, sir. I have been to their village and caught conversations of how at peace they felt here, not needing to fear an attack from a bandit group. I have also been able to gather that Lady Madelyn will be staying here with Hassar, taking over sovereignty of Caelin. Our men and the families of the clan are eager to go back home though, they seem to miss the plains.

- I see…the construction of the village is done, and if the Lorca tribe really stays here, then we'll be leaving within a week. We'll have a lot of empty houses though.

With a sigh he started toward Lyn and the others, who were just watching as the girl spoke about their travel here, and their battles. She noticed the sad smile on Segruk's face as he watched her, but filed that for later, she had just met her grandfather and reunited with her mother and father, who she missed dearly, so she kept on talking to them, missing the fact that her husband left the castle walls and walked toward the mountains surrounding Castle Caelin.

* * *

- Anything wrong, sire?

He'd been deep in thought, and hadn't noticed someone approaching until he heard the voice, which startled him and made him turn toward the speaker quickly.

- Oh…it's you, Batta. Yeah, you could say so. I think she'll want to stay with her family, and I don't have it in me to deny her that wish, nor do I have it in me to abandon my men in Dunagar…I just fear I won't see her again if I left her here.

Despite himself, Batta smiled at his lord's words. The man could be as tough as they come, taking on an entire platoon by himself just for the heck of it, but the simple thought of not seeing Lady Lyndis seemed to scare him out of his wits. He was about to reply went a soft hand was placed on his shoulder, making him turn around, seeing the woman in question there, making a motion with her hand as to keep him quiet and then without a word asked the man to leave. He smirked at that but left anyway; it would do his lord good to speak to her directly. And so, just as quietly as he'd come, he left the couple on the top of a cliff, overlooking the village of the Lorca.

- She seemed so happy being with her family that it wouldn't feel right to ask her to leave them behind and come with me. My father always taught me that I always had to make everything to ensure the happiness of the woman I loved, even if it broke my own heart. I always doubted him. I didn't believe that I'd ever consider doing something that would hurt me just to ensure someone else was happy but…

He trailed off, gazing into the distance. His throat felt awfully dry and his eyes stung for some reason.

- I really want her to stay here. The smile on her face when she encountered the marquess, or the laughter as he told her about his own youth…She deserves that, that happiness and everything attached to it. I can't ask her to leave that behind – He was going to continue, but he heard a giggle and turned around, startled. Lyn was looking at him with a smile on her face; her cheeks seemed a little flushed and he eyes watery.

- You don't have to ask. Yes I loved seeing my grandfather, and I loved being with my family. But this isn't my home. I am a Sacaean, I was raised on the plains and that is all I've known. As much as I love my family, this land isn't my home. And it doesn't feel right when you're not by my side. I looked for you the whole day, you know? My mother told me she'll stay here with father to assume the position of marquess and asked me if I'd want to stay. I wanted you to be with me then so that you could know that I won't leave your side. I'm not Lyndis of the Lorca. I'm Lyndis, wife of the second Berserker King.

He watched her, absently noticing that Batta had been standing guard at enough distance that he wouldn't overhear what was said, and smiled. He placed a hand on her face and she returned the smile, knowing that she'd put his fears to rest. They stayed together for a while, watching as the setting sun made the sky take an orange coloration, before he got up, pulling Lyn with him and walking toward the castle. As they walked by, he noticed a kid of light blue hair and crimson eyes, which matched his own. The kids let out a startled gasp as he passed by, which caught his attention, making him turn toward them.

The girl that was with him, who had longer hair but the same eye color, looked at him in slight fear as their body started shaking.

- Di-did father ac-actually manage to do it?

He could hear their whispering as the halls were very quiet, the only occupants being himself, his wife and the children.

- I don't know Nils…but…he doesn't feel as he's aware. He's either the son of one and wasn't told, or he doesn't remember.

That name had Segruk staring at the kids more intensely; the boy was the one the Black Fang were after then, huh? He watched as they turned to each other for a moment, before nodding and looking back at him, his lack of action – _really, they act as though I'd harm a child!_ – telling them he wasn't an enemy, and both children visibly relaxed at that. The boy smiled widely at him, the happiness he felt reflected upon his crimson eyes.

- Hey! I'm Nils, and this is Ninian. We'd like to know how you manage to enter this land, Earth Dragon.

* * *

AN: 1 – Hey, to whoever is keeping up with this story. Yes I intend to finish this one as well, though from this chapter forward I'll be juggling both this and Naruto. Maybe I'll post one chapter of each? Maybe…

2 – I know I said that I'd be doing the whole year. But as I wrote things just seemed to flow onto another direction =3 the story's alive I tell you! I'll try to cover as much of it as I can in the next chapter. I do intend on making Segruk and Lyn encounter Sonia before the Eliwood/Hector story starts.

3 – About the pairing. I don't know. I'll probably keep it OC/smallish Harem (Yeah, I have a few others in mind, mostly because it was already in my head, and with the direction the story's gonna go…eh I hope I don't screw up along the way D=)

4 – Yup. I killed Wil…and he's not gonna be the only one. Sorry and beware o.o I did change the timeline so things are gonna happen differently. No one's seen Rath so far, for example. As a side note, I really hate myself for what I had happen to Florina...she's actually my second favorite character in Rekka no Ken '-'

Hope you guys enjoy…please do leave a review, I'll be sure to read and reply to 'em all =3

See ya o/


	3. Chapter Three: The Rebellion

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is still not owned by me. ;-;

**Shouts**

_Thoughts_

Chapter Three: The Rebellion

* * *

- Say what now?

He watched as the two kids looked at him with some excitement now, probably really believing he was a dragon, of all things. He looked over at Lyn, who had an amused smile on her face, and just shook her head as if saying "you're on your own".

- We want to know how you were able to cross to this world. Granted, you're probably a half dragon, but we can still "see" the difference quite clearly.

Segruk tilted his head to the side, curiously. If they were playing, it was a rather well planned one, because both their eyes showed genuine excitement, as though seeing something they thought they'd never see.

- Okay…say I am a dragon. How would you even know that?

Segruk watched as both kids shared an uncomfortable glance and hung their heads, not meeting his eyes for a while. He was going to repeat his question when the girl, whose hair was the same color as her brother's, only much longer, replied.

- There are certain…traits…if one knows what he's looking for. The most common would be the eyes. Since the dragon blood is stronger than the human, whenever a half dragon assumes a human form, their eyes will maintain their crimson color. Also, we instinctually know when danger is approaching.

That gave the Berserker pause. He could easily see that both children were too knowledgeable about the subject, plus their crimson eyes gave the story they didn't tell away quite easily. But those things were not his greatest concern. In his mind, he replayed his entire life, trying to understand why he never knew his heritage. His mother was truly a noblewoman from Etruria, but his father…the man always told him he was from beyond the Western Isles, and that he could never go back. He never questioned further, mainly because, as a child, he didn't want to see the flashes of pain that the thought brought to the man's face.

The thought of his father froze him for a moment. His eyes, they were the same color. They were crimson red, but Segruk always dismissed it as a trait of their berserker blood. He blinked a few times and looked at the kids in front of him.

- Does having dragon blood make you battle crazy? – Seeing their blank stares, he decided to elaborate - Whenever I'm in battle I feel overcome with battle lust and it makes me go crazy. It usually happens as soon as I sense danger, which is why I'm asking.

Here both boy and girl hesitated, but then grinned at him happily after a moment of thought, their eyes shining mischievously.

- Nope. That's something in your human genes. Are you sure your mom was a sage?

He stopped for a thought after that. Did his father pretend to go into battle craze, so he wouldn't feel like a freak? He looked at Lyn, and saw in her the same confusion that poked at his own mind. He shrugged after a moment, deciding that it didn't do to dwell on such matters, and observed the young looking people in front of him.

- So what about you? I'm twenty six years old, and I'm starting to believe my father was many times older than that before he died. How old are you? Also, why does she look so weak, despite having dragon blood?

Nils grinned at the large man in front of him. He was glad to finally be able to speak freely to someone other than Ninian. Although they could make do with each other's company, both kids always complained about how they wished they had someone they could trust with their little secret. He looked at the green haired woman standing beside the man at times during their conversation, and although she was surprised to learn he was a dragon, she seemed to either file that for later, or just not care, as moments later she was back to just watching their interaction, one of her hands gripping onto his own.

- I'm not entirely sure. We remember fleeing during The Scouring, but we can't tell how long it's been since then. Ninian…well, something happened when we came back, and she lost too much energy. I wanted to take her back, but someone stopped us, and took me and my sister hostage. We were able to flee, and after some time traveling as entertainers; I'm a bard, and Ninian, a dancer; we ended up near Caelin, where we encountered Lady Madelyn and Lord Hassar, who offered to protect us from the men that came after us.

Both Lyn and Segruk gasped. Fled The Scouring? That was over a millennium ago, which meant that these "kids" were at least a thousand years old. She looked at her husband and saw that although he was as surprised as she was about their age, at the mention of being pursued, he concentrated all his attention back on the blue haired child in front of them. Maybe it had to do with this Black Fang that had caught his attention while they passed through Bern. If she was honest with herself, Lyn was just as intrigued, but mostly over the fact that this Bern centered faction was operating within the borders of her mother's land.

As Nils finished his resumed tale, she saw as Segruk took a moment to process all the information he'd gathered. She thought that maybe he was trying to link these men after Nils and the girl with him with the ones they heard about while in Bern, a blue haired magic wielder and a blond mercenary.

- We'll get to that in a moment, but first…The Scouring, are you sure? That was a thousand years ago. You don't look past fifteen for the ancestor's sake!

Both children giggled at that, and the sound brought a smile to Lyn's face. It was so innocent and full of actual joy that it almost made her forget her worries concerning the Fang. Almost being the key word. But, much like her husband, she thought to herself that they'd get to that later and focused on the subject of their age. If they were really that old and only resembled teens, why did Segruk, being twenty six, look as though he was actually twenty six?

- Dragons and, by extension, half dragons age very slowly. You, it seems, were made to age normally until a certain age. Druids were known to be able to do things like that with some rituals. It's fascinating, really. The things they can do with magic.

Segruk grinned at that. Being the son of a Sage, and living near Etruria for some time had made his own fascination with the magical arts expand immensely. He never dwelled much into it though, since his father felt that his skills would be dampened on such things, and took to his training the axe fighting to another level. For a moment no one else spoke, and though it was no comfortable silence, it was by no means a strained one either. Everyone seemed to simply take in everything that was spoken, before a thought occurred to the King, who looked at the siblings for a moment, before nodding to himself, feeling his proposal would probably be the best course of action.

- Why don't you guys stay with us? We promise to protect you against anyone that tries taking you away, and you guys tell me stories of the dragons, since I know little about my own race. I know some of what is told on the tales of The Scouring. Humans grew greedy, and waged war on the dragons for complete control over Elibe. In their rage, the dragons imprisoned one of the Divine Dragons and turned her into a Demon Dragon, which caused imbalance in the world. That, in turn, caused the power of the dragons to go haywire, which made them seal it away into stones, now called dragonstones. After that they retreated through the Dragon Gate. That is the version I was always told by my father, so I don't really know if it's the one the people of Elibe know. It's funny, because he also told me that the Dragon Realm, as he referred to it, links to many different worlds, some are even different versions of one world, but I never thought to question him as to why he knew that…anyway, It's pretty late, you guys can sleep on that and we'll talk more tomorrow.

The children were already going to give their answer, but Segruk needed to think over things. He was a half dragon, and was never told of that. Where was his dragonstone? Why did his father never tell him of his true heritage, opting to say they were part of a clan that came from a land to the west? He barely slept that night, his mind caught in the conversation he'd had with Nils and his sister, Ninian.

* * *

- And then there are the Earth Dragons. Your ancestors, most likely, they are known for their tough scales, and their impressive strength. Like I said, all dragons have the Dragon Breath, but each element had its own perks and weaknesses. Earth Dragons are the strong and sturdy type, but they lack in speed and they are the most likely to fall to magic. Being the son of a Sage took some of that magical weakness from you, but not entirely, I take it.

Even though he couldn't sleep, Segruk was too excited to let it bother him, his eyes didn't even show his lack of sleep as he went to the dragon siblings with his wife and Florina, who he thought deserved to know the truth, about him anyway. Nils, with the assistance of his sister whenever his own memory failed him, told them about the Scouring, what they knew until they left, and the fact that Segruk's father version was incomplete, most likely due to him leaving during the war. Likely, Dunagar really had visited lands to the west, but the real reason must have been to either escape the war, or to simply nor participate at all.

They spoke for hours on several occasions, Segruk telling stories he could remember about his father, and the kids telling what they could remember of their land and mother. Lyn and Florina participated in that conversation, telling some stories about their own parents and the times they spent together. They grew closer over the week, since the return to Sacae was delayed due to constant storms near the border. On the day they would leave, however…

- Lord Hassar, Lady Madelyn. I bring gifts from Marquess Laus and a letter for your lordship.

They were at the throne room, saying their farewells to the new leaders of Caelin, who had been crowned sometime during the week they stayed in their land. Lyndis felt a little ashamed that she'd miss such an important event to her mother, but the discoveries she'd made, and the happiness from her own husband on understanding more about himself had, to her mind, made it worth it. Even the lecture from both her parents after they saw her, already crowned.

The messenger must have been in a real hurry, since he hadn't acknowledged anyone else inside the room, neither had be bowed, as was customary. The man, a pale, long haired male soldier, had taken interest on Nils and Ninian, something her husband must have noticed, since he let loose a growl at the man and stepped in front of them. The letter and gifts he bared were taken, and the man stood, awaiting a reply, and averting his gaze from Segruk's predatory one.

- …What foolishness is this? Rebellion against Ostia, major ally of all other states in Lycia? Is Lord Laus insane?

The answer had come from her father, who read the letter along with her mother. Between the two of them, since people expected the Sacaean to react in a way not proper of a lord, he was always the one using his sincere, plain speech to their advantage, since he could prod them for answers and Madelyn would just steer the conversation from there.

- I assure you, sire, Lord Laus has full awareness of his plans. This same message was sent to all other Lords of the Lycian council, and positive answers have already arrived. Lord Pherae himself supports this act.

Whoever the man was, he knew that Lord Elbert, ruler of Pherae, was well liked among the Lords of Lycia, since the mere mention of his support drew a gasp from his wife, Madelyn, and Hausen, who now posed as her advisor until she had full grasp on her new position. Instead of waiting for an answer, this time the man went one, already turning his back at the Lords of Caelin as he left the castle.

- I shall leave you to discuss your answer. Lord Laus shall send another envoy in the coming week for an answer. Thank you for this audience, Milords.

And just like that, the man was gone, but not without one last glance at Nils and Ninian, which made Segruk scowl at the man and tighten his hold on his battle-axe.

* * *

- All Lords always knew that Marquess Darin, of Laus, was a power hungry fool, but to contemplate treason! And Elbert supports it? I need to know more…

Segruk, who had already told Lyn they needed to go, if only to understand why that man was so interested in the kids, stepped forward, along with both her and Florina at his sides, and Batta and Dorcas a staying close by.

- We'll go. You can say that Lady Madelyn is unable to leave Caelin, since the people need their leader, since they are still recovering from the whole Lundgreen ordeal. You send your daughter, who is in essence your heir to their little meeting and I'm sure they'll overlook your absence, since she'll be with me, Florina, Batta and Dorcas…

He would have continued, but at that moment, the doors to the throne room of Castle Caelin opened, and in marched a soldier of Caelin, who bowed to his lords and announced the arrival of Lord Elbert of Pherae. That made Hausen smile, since the old man now could press his friend for an answer concerning the summons from Marquess Laus. Madelyn had sent the soldier to bring the Lord forward, and Segruk, along with Lyn, who were positioned in front of her parents, moved to the side, to stand near his generals and Florina.

In came a red haired, fully armored knight, with a long cape at his back; _really, what is it with these people and capes?_ And his helmet firmly held at his side. His face was opened in a smile as he bowed to the lords and to Hausen, before he paused and looked in the direction of the "extras".

- My Lady, My Lord Caelin. I hope this is not a bad time…

Madelyn smiled at her longtime friend. He had been the only person to side with her when she decided that she wanted to be with Hassar, and in the end had even helped the two of them when they got away from Caelin. She looked at her daughter and her husband.

- No, its fine, Elbert. We were just talking about this rebellion Lord Laus is proposing. Is that not the reason of your visit? You are going to meet with him.

She watched as Lord Pherae's eyes widened in surprise before a grin made its way to his face. He relaxed in his stance, the grip he had on his helmet softening ever so slightly.

- Why yes, I am. I was very much shocked when I received his letter. Ostia is our age old ally and protector. Why would he conceive such thoughts? I must know the truth.

The Lady of Caelin nodded. It was very much like the Elbert she remembered to try and resolve things without a fight. But deep down she knew that whatever was happening with Lord Laus was only the tip of a much larger problem. She looked once again at her daughter and decided that if she was going to send her only child to spy on this rebellious lot, she'd be safest with as many skilled warriors near her as possible.

- Elbert. Take Lyndis and her company with you, they were going as representatives of Caelin. I ask that you see to my daughter's safety.

Lord Pherae hesitated. He wasn't expecting Madelyn to send her child to gather information, but also knew that she must have had her reasons, as he could see the reluctance on her face as she proclaimed that her daughter would attend the meeting in her stead. He looked at the girl in question; she had a small smile tugging at her lips as a large male encircled his arms around her from behind. The next moment they were both staring at him, determined expressions on their faces and walking side by side toward him, with a small company, composed of a female Pegasus Knight and two axe fighters. Elbert couldn't quite place a name of the face, but he was sure that he knew at least the blonde one.

* * *

- Shit! This is bad…this is really bad!

Elbert ran toward the entrance of Castle Laus, his men and Lyndis' company surrounded by assassins and the like, while Segruk tried his best to keep them occupied with him. Their little espionage was going really well, until a meeting with the secret sponsors of the rebel movement.

**† Flashback †**

Lyn looked at her husband, who was being forced to wear formal clothing and hated it. She tried to stifle a giggle as his predicament, but it escaped nonetheless, making him stop his shifting and grumbling to look at her, at first a look of mock hurt crossing his face, before a large smile appeared upon seeing her smile for the first time since they started this damned task.

They walked together to the meeting hall, where they saw that Lord Elbert already waited their arrival, along with Marquess Santaruz, Marquess Laus and Marquess Araphen, who glared at her husband as they approached. They had been called that day to discuss the involvement of another faction in their rebellion.

- This is Lord Ephidel; he represents our…sponsors, so to speak.

As he spoke, in walked a pale man, with long dark hair and yellow eyes, who looked at all the men in the room, his eyes lingering on both Marquess Pherae and the savage who accompanied Lady Lyndis. Darin knew that Lord Ephidel could tell who had potential, but he was hoping it would only be the savage, since he did not wish and ill to Lord Elbert. He watched as Ephidel spoke, promising the rule of specific regions of Lycia under the rule of Laus, and the expansion of their plans at a later date, promising that each of the united lords would be granted a country to rule over once Lord Darin had command over Elibe.

As he finished speaking, both Lyndis and the savage; He didn't bother learning the man's name, as it was beneath him to socialize with such barbarians; laughed, and even Elbert chuckled at the prospect of invading other countries, and he just watched as Marquess Pherae himself questioned the validity of this act, since a coup now would leave Lycia an easy target to Bern, who always had their eyes set on expanding their territory into Lycia. He went on to mention that even with their united efforts, Lord Uther and Lord Hector of Ostia would be no easy prey, and under them there were many able men and women willing to lay their lives for Ostia's royal family.

It broke down to a heated discussion between him and Elbert then, he said that the Fang would provide the troops they needed once Lycia was under his rule, and Elbert questioned the prudence of trusting the organization that only sent one man to a meeting about a rebellion that would occur in weeks. Lyn and her savage sided with Elbert and made their own points, arguing that they'd already seen the Fang in action; which both knew was a lie, since the one who fought against the Fang had been her mother, but no one else knew that; and weren't impressed, and if Bern decided to invade once the coup was done, Lycia was sure to fall to the Empire.

They left soon after; leaving a seething Darin, a concerned Helman of Santaruz and a smug Marquess Araphen behind, but no one saw the look on Ephidel's face as he watched their retreating backs.

**† Flashback Ends †**

They had each gone to their respective rooms, and once changed back into their armors, they started their trek out of the castle, to the horses. They were stopped by a group of Fang operatives once they approached the great hall, the gates of Castle Laus closing slowly behind them. Segruk had gone into his battle haze, but this time there was something else to his madness, he was making sure that all enemies turned their attention to him, felling one after the other as more had to replace the first ones. He yelled at the rest of them to open the gates as an assassin stabbed at his abdomen, making him growl at the man and push him away with his axe, before doing a complete spin as he swung the weapon, cleaving some of the men who weren't expecting such an action, and in the process taking another blow, this time to the side.

He watched as the gates to Castle Laus slowly opened and as Elbert had to drag Lyn and Florina away, while Batta and Dorcas, seeing that the ladies were going to be fine, turned to reinforce their King in battle, but a look from him stopped them. He was being held down now, his body weakening as more and more wounds appeared on him.

**- You are their guards. Keep them safe, and if a single hair is cut from their heads, once I get back, I'll kill you!**

Both of them hesitated, they came back because both women pleaded them to help their husband, but in the end they were his vassals before theirs, and as such they turned once again, running after the retreating company.

Segruk allowed a smile to appear on his lips then, but he knew he needed to do something or they would be hunted down as they fled Laus' territory. And so, after a deep breath and allowing the madness to completely take over this time, he shoved the men that were trying to hold him down, and roared as he lifted his axe once more, making a dash toward the entrance, some of the Fang's men already trying to leave, most likely to hunt the other escapees down.

He knew he'd never make it to the lever that opened and closed the gates, so instead, he tackled the men, and stood on the middle of the bridge, his axe at the ready and his eyes shining with rage as he gave a challenging growl, both demanding and daring the men to come face him. Archers appeared from the castle towers, and their arrows were let loose in his direction, and nearly at the same time, a group of mages, with Ephidel at their center, walked out of the castle, and he couldn't see any emotion on the yellow eyed man, which confused him, everyone always showed something when entering the field of battle, even if only for a moment.

Ephidel and his minions started chanting the magical incantation for their spells as he saw the one man who got left behind defend the only way out of Laus' fortress, his eyes were losing their intensity as the wounds were sapping at his energy with every moment. The arrows met their target, and even though his legs trembled as he swayed for a moment, the man held firm in his position, and if he wasn't bound to his master's will, Ephidel was sure he'd respect the man in front of him more than his own master at the moment.

The incantation done, he and his mages stretched their arms to the form of the warrior standing at the gates, the fire they had called upon forming at the palm of their hands, and with a jerk of motion, the spells flew in his direction, but he didn't move, his eyes didn't show fear or resignation, the man just roared at the spells challengingly as they collided with him in a big explosion of fire and smoke.

* * *

Lyn's eyes stung as unshed tears welled in them. As they left the castle, retreating to the border of Laus with her mother's land, she saw that Batta and Dorcas had left as well, and for a moment she hoped she'd see her husband coming with them, but a few seconds later a roar echoed through the area, and her heart nearly stopped. _That stupid man is going to stay there! _She wanted to jump out of Huey's back and rush to her husband's side, but the fact that the girl was also in tears, but was still leaving allowed her to think clearer. What if she stayed? The sacrifice he was willing to make would be in vain then, and as such she had to comply to his wishes, she had to leave. She saw that both Dorcas and Batta were catching up, each man mounting a stolen horse, and narrowed her eyes. She'd deal with them once they were in Caelin.

They heard another roar and she allowed herself to hope he'd be fine, that he would be wounded from the battle, but he'd survive. All hope left her as new tears welled in her eyes once an explosion echoed, and through the whole trip, a solemn silence fell among the survivors of the attack.

* * *

Something was wrong, he was supposed to be able to take the quintessence from the dead body by now, but he couldn't feel it leaving the human. The smoke started clearing, and a new roar came from within the screen of black. As the wind drove the remaining smoke away, even Ephidel couldn't hide the surprised gasp that escaped him.

Standing there was no longer a human being, but something else. Not quite dragon, as it lacked the immense proportions of one, but something akin to it, as the skin of the man was now covered with brown scales, two wings had spawned from his back, a tail swished behind him and his eyes were now slit crimson orbs. The battle-axe the man usually wielded was nowhere to be seen, but he doubted he'd need it now. He observed the man's form with scientific interest. He was naked from the waist up, the coat he wore had likely been ripped away during the transformation, and his feet were now bare as well, his boots lay to his side, probably he'd taken those off at one point.

He didn't touch the ground any more, he floated a few inches from it, his mouth wide open as all could see mud appearing inside his mouth, and for a moment he wondered if the hybrid creature actually believed such a thing could hurt them, but as the creature roared and the mud inside his mouth spewed out like a breath of fire would from a Fire Dragon, the "harmless" mud took the shape of spikes and dried out, solidifying completely before it got to them. The men panicked at their comrades died around them, but Ephidel, who had been hit at some point by one of the things, fell to one knee and was taken away by his mages.

Segruk's mind was clear, even though he was in the midst of battle. Maybe it was because he had finally awakened his dragon blood? He was moving and doing things on instinct, the dragon breath, for example, he didn't know how it worked or how to call on it, but something inside him guided his body through it, and he'd breathed earth spikes on his enemies, making them retreat in a panic, before he took to the skies, seeing his Lyndis and Florina the most important thought on his head at the moment.

* * *

They were galloping at top speed, the steed of his company and the Pegasus of Lyndis' companion Florina being pushed to the limit to leave the territory of Laus before the end of the day. He dreaded the reunion with his dear friend, he had failed in keeping her daughter safe, and in the end Lyndis lost her husband due to his own weakness. He set his mind on the task at hand, seeing Lyndis safely back to her parents, and then he'd allow for plans of vengeance to form.

They were quite far from the castle now, but the there was a distant sound reminiscent of the roar they'd heard earlier that had Lyndis' head shoot up, her head turning as she tried to adjust her position of sitting behind Florina on Huey's back. She wouldn't allow herself to hope this time, as she'd heard the explosion earlier that had most likely taken her husband's life, but the sound was so familiar. There was another one, this time a little and then nothing, which made her sigh and lean her head onto Florina's shoulder, her whole body felt numb and it was as though she was only moving as directed, like a doll.

She looked around, seeing the company that Lord Elbert led and saw that none of their men had fallen, and even though she knew she shouldn't feel that way, she felt a jolt of anger directed at them. Why couldn't they help him, he could have escaped if they at least tried. They were already outside the gates, so all they'd need was to back him up as he fled, and then they'd all be escaping home, and he wouldn't have needed to die so they could flee like the cowards she thought them to be.

She shook her head, clearing her mind somewhat. She couldn't blame Marquess Pherae for making her safety a priority as her mother asked, and neither could she blame Dorcas or Batta for that matter, she knew that the most likely case was that Segruk had told them that she was their priority, that if she wasn't safe he'd come back from hell if needed to punish them. A chuckle escaped her lips at the thought; it was just like her husband to treat her like a fragile jewel instead of a warrior sometimes.

* * *

He was so high off the ground that he wondered how he could even see what was going on down there. He could see the horses moving away at a distance to the east, as well as see the commotion he'd left behind at Castle Laus moments before. Grinning at his handiwork, he took a moment to observe some of the changes for himself, and brought his hands in front of his face, to take a better look at them. He noticed the longer nails that looked like claws, as well as the harder skin that covered him. It was as though this new skin was actually armor, since he could still see his human skin under it, between scales. He looked further up his arm, noticing that this new skin-like armor covered everything, leaving next to nothing exposed anymore.

He touched his face, noticing that the scales also covered it, and decided that he'd need to see if he could at least hide it, so he could still make public appearances. He also feared for a moment what his Lyn's reaction would be, and to a lesser extent; though not by much; Florina's. He approached the horses and simply watched over them, not really daring get near the group, in fear they may think him an actual beast, and attack.

After a while ne noticed that his wounds had actually closed as he transformed. He had touched his abdomen, and as his hand drew closer, the scales seemed to enter his skin once again on that area, answering his previous question as he passed a finger by the now closed skin. He wondered for a moment why hadn't he ever changed before, since this wasn't the first time he had been in a life or death situation. Segruk shook his head then, these thought were too complicated for his current predicament, and focused on seeing Lyn and Florina safely past the borders of Laus and Caelin.

* * *

They had passed into Caelin territory, and as soon as that was done, everyone let the horses stop altogether, dismounting for a moments rest. Now that they were no longer in Laus, they needed not fear an attack, since Marquess Laus would certainly not like the repercussions of attacking an allied province over the fact they survived an assassination attempt. Elbert paced as the horses went to the river that seemed to cross all of Caelin and drank some. He allowed himself to think on vengeance now, not only for the kid that sacrificed himself in Laus, but over the fact the Marquess Laus had just attempted to assassinate two nobles of Lycia, one being the heir to Caelin, Lady Lyndis, the other was himself, Marquess Pherae. He'd need to send word to Ostia, but the only route that allowed for that to happen passed right through Darin's lands, and that was not a risk he was willing to take with his men.

He watched as both girls allowed themselves to mourn their loss for those moments they'd be idle with a heavy heart. If only he and his men were stronger…He was going to approach them, when something fell from the sky, landing clumsily and loudly behind them, making both girls jump and turned around startled.

- My Lyn…my Florina…are you girls okay? Did anyone hurt you? Did Batta and Dorcas protect you?

They looked at the person in front of them, the crimson eyes very much like Segruk's own, the same hair and voice, but at the same time, the body…he was covered in scales, a tail swaying from side to side absent-mindedly and there was no axe, and her husband never let go of his axe. Beside her, she felt Florina let go of her hand and throw herself into his open arms, eliciting a chuckle from him as he hugged the petite girl to him tightly, his eyes closing as a tear escaped him. That had all worries washed from Lyn's mind, and she too threw herself at her husband, his arms opening again to accommodate the addition to the hug, the happiness making his eyes glow and his face nearly split in two as he grinned happily.

- I'm so glad…

As he spoke, the scales covering his body receded leaving him nearly completely human again, the only changes that remained were the wings, which appeared to be permanent, and the tail. He took a step back and allowed a smile to form as he saw both their faces redden at the sight of his naked torso; Florina more so than Lyn, since they had yet to consummate their wedding; and looked at Batta and Dorcas.

- Thank you, men. They are fine, like I asked they be. I still can't trust you completely, but you're earning points, so to speak.

He then turned to Marquess Pherae, who eyed him suspiciously still, his hand hovering over the hilt of his blade. He offered the man a respectful nod before turning to his wives once again, taking notice of how they seemed to glare at the two guards that fled with them. He smiled at that, knowing they had blamed both men on what had happened to him. He looked around, seeing that the horses seemed wary of him, but Huey had recognized him and was approaching her friend, and if he understood the way she was behaving correctly, the girl was happy to see him again.

- So, what is the next course of action here? We know that that attempt on your lives wasn't just a one-time deal, also, the Black Fang are involved, and although some of them are rather pathetic, there are some with impressive skill. Like Ephidel himself, he was a very good mage, or maybe he was at sage level already? Anyway…point is, whatever is done, we have to take them into consideration.

He didn't look at anyone in specific as he spoke, distracting himself by petting Huey's head as the female Pegasus leaned into the touch. The animals had all stopped drinking, and seemed to be in condition to continue, and so the company mounted once more, with Segruk taking to the skies above them, and continued their march to Caelin, now in a much slower pace, they were safe. Well, for now at least.

* * *

They threw him into his cell, the bandanna he usually wore falling to the ground as he just grunted upon impact. His whole body hurt. His employer had called on him for a different type of job, only to have some weird men take him as "sacrifice" to summon dragons. Obviously enough, he'd resisted, felling many of them with his trusty bow as he tried to get away, to his horse so he could escape from Araphen.

Rath was actually just finished some of the last jobs he'd do for the Marquess of Araphen before leaving for his homeland of Sacae. His father had called on his, the Taliver Bandits were raiding villages left and right again, and they needed all the able bodied soldiers they could get. He had accumulated enough time on the employ of his employer that his vow to serve him for five years as long as he paid him the combined amount monthly was at its end and both men knew it. Maybe that was why he was doing this, to keep him from going home?

He watched as the soldiers that brought him here spoke about quintessence and how he was sure to have more than ordinary men did, since he was the most skilled fighter in Araphen at the moment. They'd only subdued him because they planned ahead and slayed his horse before he could get to it, and during that hesitating moment in which Rath saw his friend impaled with several spears, they rained down on him with exceeding force.

He could only watch as Marquess Araphen and some man in a purple cloak approached his cell and stopped just outside, a cruel smile tugging at the Marquess' lips.

- Hmm…yes, he has a magnificent amount of quintessence. But it is still not enough for our Lord's plans to come to fruition, we'll need more, keep your eyes open for more…candidates.

At that the cloaked man left, most likely to report a successful advancement on their plans back to his master, as the male who was left behind left out a chuckle at Rath's predicament.

- Hehehe…at least you were useful to your betters one last time, eh Rath?

* * *

Now that the whole ordeal was behind them, Segruk, Lyn and Florina started making plans to move back to Sacae with his people, who surprisingly enough didn't seem as agitated with his appearance as others were; _most likely father had warned them of what we were. I think the reason he didn't tell me before is because he wanted me to be "normal"? Maybe it has something to do with the suppression of my dragon blood that Nils spoke about?_ He sighed, thinking about that without his father to confirm or deny it was making his head hurt. He decided he'd rely on Nils' knowledge of dragons on this matter, and averted his thoughts to another matter. Days after their arrival in Caelin, while he was visiting his people at the Lorca's new village, he was visited by Ephidel, who now swore himself to his service, and oddly enough, he sensed no danger from the man, plus, where on their last encounter he couldn't see any emotions on his yellow eyes, now they were filled with many at the same time. He seemed worried about something, happy and saddened, and it was all so confusing. He recalled their conversation…

**† Flashback †**

He had just told the leader among the clan's women that they were heading back to Sacae in a week's time, and was making his way back to Castle Caelin, when the air in front of him rippled open and out stepped Ephidel, his cloak's hood not covering his face, which was odd. He also sensed no danger as the man knelt in front of him.

- My lord. I seek your guidance on a few matters.

Segruk blinked at that. He looked at the man, incredulous for a few moments. Did he really believe he'd fall for it if this was a trick? The man had tried to kill him not that long ago and now expected him to believe he was his loyal retainer, just like that?

- It is weird, sire. I can…sense your thoughts. I know when you are confused, when you are angered or saddened. It started after our confrontation, when your attack hit me. I think it corrupted me. – At Segruk's perplexed parroting of his statement, Ephidel thought it best to elaborate – I am what Nergal calls a Morph, sire. Or I was…your dragon breath has given me some range of emotions, as well as some free will of my own. I have come to the conclusion it freed me, in a manner of speaking, but at the same time, it bound me to you. Nergal created me and my "sister", Limstella without any male or female definitions, and as such we are not exactly human, even now that I cannot consider myself a puppet, I lack true human traits. I am in need of your guidance.

Segruk didn't even know who this Nergal was, but he was sure he'd kill the man the first chance he got. He wasn't going to be a hypocrite and say he was against the creation of such "Morphs", but at the very least he would give his creations a body as close to human as possible. He watched Ephidel for a moment, not sure if he should trust the man, but his instincts, which after his change started "tugging" at his mind in some moments, like when to trust someone's word, or when to just tell them to fuck off, were telling him that the Morph was being truthful. He was still going with the safe route, after all, better safe than sorry.

- I see…very well Ephidel. I will give you some of my trust, as I hope you'll understand that this is too sudden for me to trust you completely. –His answer at this was a small smile at the man's lips and the reply of "I'd be disappointed if you did, sire." – And as such I have a task for you. I believe this Nergal trusts you, since you are one of his "creations", and as such you have access to confidential information he'd tell no one else, correct? You'll spy on him for me, and help whoever the Lycian council sends to spy on the Fang. Do this and after this is all over, we'll work on your newfound freedom.

He knew there would be a Lycian spy mainly because Elbert had convinced him that he'd be the only one who could safely trespass Laus' territory without being shot right out of the sky. But still, the only reason Segruk had complied to that was because the older male had said that Florina had offered to go herself, if he didn't. He swore he'd make the Marquess of Pherae pay for that one, but relented and went to Ostia, where he met Lord Uther and his younger brother, a Lord Hector. They got off quite nicely, with both their love of axes. He shook his head to come back to the present as watched as Ephidel pondered his orders, before looking him in the eyes.

- You…you are not deceiving me, are you, sire? – Somehow, Segruk knew that it was more of a statement than a question. – My newfound freedom…I like that.

He saluted his new lord and turned around, raising his hand lazily and making a brief slashing motion that made the air open once more and he stepped through, leaving Segruk by himself once again as he continued his walk to the castle, the quiet plains of Caelin the only witness to that conversation.

**† Flashback Ends †**

As he thought about it, he once again decided to defer to Nils superior knowledge on dragons and their workings. Speaking of the kid, he and Ninian seemed much more lively after their talk with Segruk, in which they spilled they were actually half dragons. It was obvious that they had needed to take that weight off their little shoulders, plus the fact that he didn't tell a soul about their secret; well except Florina, but they understood that; helped. Nils was now usually seen playing pranks of Sain and some of the other knights of Caelin. He hadn't liked the man very much, since he'd flirt with his dear sister at every chance he had. Segruk had been asked to reprimand the child on his behavior, since he was the only person they'd actually listen to, and so as asked of him, he went to talk to the kid…and congratulate on yet another masterfully played prank.

They were leaving Lycia the next day, and as he promised, he'd take both siblings with him to Sacae, they had grown on him. He walked to the room he shared with his wives, only to notice that there was only Florina there, and her clothing was opened as though to let him see her naked form underneath it, but not reveal too much. He closed the door as he walked to her, and she fidgeted some more before taking a deep breath and relaxing, stretching her arms once he was in reach to grasp his shoulders and pull him to her, her lips meeting his on a passionate kiss, the first she'd ever given him; her kisses were always, while not lacking any love, been gentle ones, no lust filled fire behind them; and he placed a hand on her thigh, the other one snaking to her lower back as he pulled her closer still to his body, his hands caressing her body gently as he guided them to the bed.

* * *

It had been a few months after they went back to Sacae, the kids had adapted quite well to the plains, and Segruk had been given the report by the warrior he'd left in charge of the city while he was away, and had gotten to know that the Taliver were on the move once again, but were making a point to avoid their city, for the moment. Some of the local tribes had come to Dunagar to plead for their aid, but as there had been no such order, his second in command simply told them that once his leader was back they'd meet over the issue and take action as it was fit to.

Segruk nodded at the report and patted the man on the back. He knew that it must have been difficult for him, since he was a kind hearted individual, but that was why he was left in charge, because he'd never mistreat anyone of his people. The meeting over the plea of the other tribes was quite short lived, since Segruk simply opened the massive doors to the meeting hall, announced they were marching against the Taliver and uniting Sacae as one kingdom, and left, just like that.

* * *

AN: 1 – Hmm…Rath, Rath, Rath…A little spoiler to all you Rath lovers, I'm not killing him, that was done to help the story along in a few chapters. '-'

2 – "You started a lemon scene but did no actual lemon, dafuq?" I'm going to be honest and say I'm not convinced that first lemon was all that good, but not only that, I resolved to be moderate on the amount of lemons in the story, so sometimes I'll just imply they did it. '-'

3 – I thought I sucked at cliffhangers…now I'm completely sure of it =3

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter…leave a review as usual I'll be sure to read and reply whenever I can.

See ya o/


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